Rolling in Waves
by Synbou
Summary: A collection of vignettes that will most likely come in waves – sometimes related to each other, sometimes not - featuring all the characters and more.
1. Three Days

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It belongs to CBS. **

**A/N: It's been a while since I wrote in English – actually since I wrote at all. H 5-O ****(especially Danny with all his quirks) and the great writers in this fandom lured my muse back from afar. Since I love the concept little vignettes, I decided to give a try to. I hope you enjoy them. **

**Many Thanks to my friend Peter for helping beta this text. Next coffee is on me, Peter. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES**** SERIES: First wave**

**1: Three days**.

"Come on, Danno, if we leave now, we can get to Grey before he finishes his talk at the Waikiki Convention Center," Steve called, already half way to the door. He stopped suddenly, realizing that his partner was not following him. Looking back, Steve saw Danny still standing by the main digital screen, as if nothing had been said.

_What now__?_ He sighed.

The Head of the 5-0 unit met Kono and Chin's expectant gazes. The two cousins were waiting to see how the next inevitable argument between their boss and the former New Jersey detective was going to unfold.

"What are you waiting for?" Steve asked his partner impatiently.

"Are you suffering from selective hearing? Didn't I make myself clear when I said: "I'm not going anywhere with you for the next three days"?" Danny fired off his words, hands going back and forth, fingers punctuating his statement. "Let me say it again for good measure. For the next three days, I am not going _anywhere_ with you. I've got plans and they involve me being in top shape. That means: no busted knee, no gunshot wound, not even a paper cut. Got that? So for the next three days, you're riding with Kono or Chin. Better yet, with both of them. Considering your misconception of the notion of "back up"_, two_ is somewhat better than only _one_."

"You're serious?" the former SEAL challenged incredulously.

"I'm serious."

"Three days," repeated Steve. "Don't you think you're pushing it?"

"When it comes to you leading raids?" offered Danny. "No."

"Guys," Kono interrupted. "What's in three days?"

Danny's stance softened. "Gracie's birthday," answered the father.

The cousins nodded.

"Come on, Boss," said Kono, as she caught up with Steve, Chin on her heels. "Let's hit the road. We have a bad guy to catch."

000

**A/N: Thanks for reading. **

(Dec. 2010)


	2. Discussing Plans

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It belongs to CBS. **

**A/N: Here is a second vignette, following the first one. There will actually be a 3****rd**** one. H/C insured. Enjoy!**

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: First wave**

**2: ****Discussing plans. **

Steve let Chin take over the crime scene on the hotel's rooftop and ran back down to the lobby. Heart racing inside his tight Kevlar clad chest, he tried to control both his breathing and his rage. They had taken down the sniper. Too late.

_Two shots had been fired. _

Governor Jameson had been targeted by someone from her entourage. Based on the commotion across the street from the hotel; Steve knew for sure that someone was down. He hoped Kono was all right. The young rookie had taken off toward the politician, while he and Chin had aimed for the shooter.

Steve made his way through the frantic crowd, seeking shelter inside the Convention Center. The Governor's Head of Security stopped him at the door. He gave Steve a solemn nod before directing him to his right. Crossing the cool air conditioned threshold of the building, Steve stopped dead in his tracks. His heart skipped a beat as he stared ahead in shock.

Kneeling on the floor, Jameson hovered over his fallen partner. Kono was by their side, one of her hands pressed down onto a growing bloody stain covering Danny's light blue shirt.

_Leave it to Da__nno to back us up; figuring the plot on his own,_ he thought_. _

Jameson's gaze was locked on the wounded man's pale face. Her lips were moving as she talked to him softly. Danny was conscious. Steve released the breath he had been holding. Quietly, he walked up to the group. Jameson and Kono both greeted him with worried expressions and quickly looked back down at Danny. Jameson murmured reassuring words as she continued stroking the blond hair.

Blue eyes at half-masts, Danny's face was ashen. Steve had never seen his partner so still before. His Kevlar vest was undone, his tie discarded to the side. His friend was focusing all his energy on a single, but not so simple task: drawing short painful breaths.

Rage and shock were followed by fear. _For Heaven's sake, where is the ambulance_?

"It will be here anytime, now," Jameson answered the question. He had unconsciously voiced his thought at loud. "Meanwhile, Danny is about to tell us his plans for Grace's birthday."

Gracie… Danno's little girl was turning nine tomorrow…

Asking Danny about his plans for the special day seemed cruel under the current circumstances. But if it helped the father stay conscious and _alive_, Steve was all for it. He knelt down by his friend's head.

"Oh yeah… You didn't tell me what you have planned for Gracie."

"Swim with… Dolphins…. Sh' loved it."

"She did, didn't she?" Gracie was still talking about her first experience with the small marine mammals each time she saw Steve.

"Next year… Talkin' her… off this rock."

Steve smile. Danny was planning on getting through this. "That might not be a bad idea." He agreed.

000

**A/N: I hope you liked. ****There will be a 3****rd**** part to this series. **

(Dec. 2010)


	3. Despite all Possible Precautions

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: As promised, ****here is what happens next. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: First wave**

**3: Despite all possible precautions. **

Governor Jameson had promised Danny that she would personally inform his daughter and his ex-wife, Rachel, of what had happened at the Convention Center. Steve had offered to accompany her. He had wanted to assure the little girl that Danno was going to be all right. He was strong and stubborn. Danny loved her and wanted nothing more than to pass time with her. Of course, Gracie knew all of this already and would tell him so later in no uncertain terms.

Jameson was sitting down beside Danny's baby girl in Rachel and Stan's luxurious home. Gracie was looking up at her with all of the seriousness of an eight year-old, going on nine. "Danno protected you from the bad guy."

"Yes, he did," Jameson answered softly. "I'm sorry that he got hurt doing it."

"Danno said it could happen to him one day," Gracie told her. "He said he could even die."

Steve was not surprised to learn that Danny had tried to prepare his daughter for such an eventuality. If only Danny knew that there was no way to be prepared, no matter how old you were. Steve could have told him, had his partner asked.

_Say Dan__no, did you do it before or after you met me?_

"Did you catch the bad guy?" Gracie was looking up at him with expectations.

Mouth dry, Steve swallowed. "Yes we did, Gracie. He will never hurt anybody ever again."

"Sweetie, Danny might not be able to be with you tomorrow," Jameson told the little girl. "But I'm sure he's going to make it up to you." Grace's brown gaze felt to the floor. She bit her lower lip. "It's okay to cry, you know," the Governor comforted as she tenderly pulled the child into a hug.

Rachel put a hand on Steve's arm and led him to the side. "And I thought divorcing Danny was going to protect us from… _this_." The anger underlying her tone quickly drowned into anguish.

Danny's ex-wife still cared about him and was afraid of all the dangers he faced everyday on the job. She had shared her fear with Steve on their first meeting.

"Rachel, Danny has some rough days ahead of him, but he will be fine," he assured her.

"He was shot, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was." When it came to jumping into dire situations, his partner was not as a hot head as he was. Danny had taken the time to gear up and call for extra back-up on the way. Still, despite of all possible precautions, the worse could happen. "Danny took two hits. The first one compromised the plate of his Kevlar vest. The second went through his side."

Steve fought the urge to pull Rachel into a hug as she hid her streaming tears.

"Danny's in the hands of the best trauma surgeon on the Island, at the moment." He continued. "You might not be able to see him for a few hours, but we can take you to him if you want."

Rachel nodded solemnly.

000

**A/N: That's it for the first wave… for now. **** Thanks for reading. **

(Dec. 2010)


	4. The Long Night

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: I guess, there was more to that wave than I anticipated. It shows how much this show got to me.**

**This part has not been beta. Please don't be surprised to see my French grammar get in the way. I hope it won't be too bad. I have few more vignettes coming. If you are interested in helping me improve my English, please drop me a note.**

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: First wave**

**4:**** The long night. **

The surgery had lasted over four hours and had not gone very well. Danny's cardiac and kidney functions had been seriously compromised by the extensive blood lost and bruising, resulting from the two shots he had taken in the abdomen. It was well into the evening when Steve and Rachel were permitted to see the injured man for a brief five minutes.

The vent, the tubes, the monitors, and most of all the sight of Danny's lifeless body, lying on the bed, would haunt them both for moths to come. Rachel then took Gracie home, but not before the little girl demanded to see Danno, too. Informed that it was not possible, Gracie had objected and cried to exhaustion.

"Maybe we should do something for Gracie, tomorrow," Steve told Kono some time later. The young woman gave him a perplex look. "It's her birthday," he added unnecessarily.

"Do something, like what?" Kono asked at lost.

"Well… I don't know," he began, robbing his face. "Danny wanted to take her swim with the dolphins again, right? Maybe… Would you take her?"

"Swim with the dolphins?" Kono's tone of voice was somewhere between incredulity and outraged.

"I know, it sounds terrible," Steve defended. "But, I've been thinking… It would give Gracie something to tell her father when he wakes up."

Kono swallowed hard. "Boss… What if he-"

"Don't say it, Kono," he cut her off. "Don't go there. Danny is going to pull through this. He will be _fine_. Okay?"

She bit her lower lip fighting her tears. "Okay." A full minute later, she added. "Okay for the dolphins."

Steve nodded. "If Rachel agrees, I'll make the arrangements."

By midnight, Chin dropped by and gave Kono a ride home. By one in the morning, Steve was allowed a few minutes with his partner again.

Needing desperately to see Danny all evening, Steve wanted to be anywhere but in front of the prone figure now. The doctor had assured him that his friend was still alive, holding his own, but the man on the bed was no longer _him_. Danny was constant motion, over-exaggerated expressions, lots of words and hand gestures punctuating every single one. Danny was not stillness, unless something was eating him from the inside.

Gosh, this was bad. _You have to stop thinking_, he told himself. He robbed his face for the hundredth time today.

"Hey, Danno," Steve greeted softly. "So much for being in top shape for Gracie's birthday; I _am_ so sorry." he said regretfully. He sighed deeply and rested his hands on the bedrail. "Grace is okay, Danny. She wants you to know that she understands. She's also very proud of you for saving the Governor's life and helping catch the bag guys. You know what partner, I'm proud of you too. That was an amazing job you pulled today.

"Now, you won't be happy with this, but Jameson passed over the investigation to the FBI. I didn't fight it. She was right when she argued that would rather look after you than process scum bags. Between you and me, I think she's afraid I'd run all over the Island blowing everything in my way out of sheer rage. God knows it could get ugly without you to remind me that there're ways to do things."

The slow rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor were his only answers. They were not bringing enough reassurance for his comfort. His hands tighten their hold onto the bedrails. They would have to do, he decided.

"My time is up, Brah. I'll be back soon, okay? But before I go, Gracie made me promise to remind you that she loves you, Danno."

Steve gave his partner a small hand squeeze on the arm. The nurse he met on his way out of the room smiled at him sympathetically.

000

**A/N: I think there should be one last part to this wave. What do you think?**

(dec.2010)


	5. Vigil

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: ****Each time I think that I'll have a story done in three parts, I always end up with five or more. Go figure… Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I appreciate the time. **

**Someone might be available to beta the next wave (Thank you!). But I'm taking my chances with this one. I catch a lot of mistakes and typos as I read the stories multiple times, but some might remain. Again, please forgive any mistakes. Thanks! **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: First wave**

**5: Vigil. **

Steve had managed a few hours of sleep before going to the Palace in the morning. He had returned a few phone calls, left some instructions for Chin Ho, and grabbed a laptop on which he would write up his incident report. By 9 a.m., Steve was back at the hospital.

"He's doing better," said the familiar voice of Danny's surgeon.

Steve turned toward the 40-something Asian man, standing by his side. He looked back at Danny's lifeless form. The vent, the tubes, the monitors, and the ashen complexion were still there. If his partner was doing better, Steve could not see it.

"It will be more convincing once he's off the vent," Dr. Kim assured him. "He's being weaned off of it gradually. His cardiac functions are still on the downside, but the wound is clear of infection and his kidneys are picking up. So, he _is _doing better."

Steve nodded appreciatively. "Can I see him?

"Yes," agreed the doctor. "You can sit with him between rounds, if you want."

"Thank you."

After greeting his friend and assuring him that he was there should the injured man needed him, Steve pulled a chair by the side of the bed, fired up his laptop and started working on his report. At noon, Chin showed up and took him out for lunch. By the time he was back, the vent had been replaced by an oxygen mask. Relief and hope washed over Steve at the sight. He gave Danny a small squeeze on the arm, whispered encouraging words, and resumed his vigil.

Sometime after four p.m., Danny started showing signs of awakening. Doctors and nurses were almost a constant presence in the room, evaluating his progress and making sure he was comfortable. Steve was invited to stay and talk to Danny, coaxing him toward awareness. Glazed, unfocussed blue eyes eventually opened in the early evening.

"Hey, Danno," Steve greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome back." Danny tried to say something, but no word came out. One of his hands rose slightly, and then fell back beside him. "Don't try to talk just yet. You were shot. They had you on a vent for awhile. You're throat must be pretty soar. I've got ice chips for that. You're going to be okay, Brah. Just relax; everything is going to be all right."

Danny was asleep a few minutes later. The next time he woke up, things did not made sense for him, at first.

"Come Danno, wake up," Steve told him. "It's almost Christmas already."

"It's not Christmas, Silly. It's my birthday," said a sweet little voice.

"Gracie…" Danny whispered tenderly. His eyes slowly focused on his daughter. "Happy birthday, Monkey… Love you."

"I love you more, Danno."

Steve gave the little girl in his arms a comforting smile. Danno would be all right. He had no doubt.

000

**A/N: Well, t****hat's it. It really is. I think they are okay. It's time to move to the next wave and more fun. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. **

(Dec. 2010)


	6. Let's Not Repeate Last Year

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Thank you all for keeping up with the waves. **** Here is the fist of a new set of 3, hopefully. Tomorrow is Friday and I have holiday parties lined up for the weekend, so I am trying to get these to you ASAP. It will also help me move on to a third wave and a burning question on my mind: Danny says he can swim, so why does he choose not to? Hypotheses are welcome.**

**Again, forget any mistake done in my use of the English language. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Second wave**

**6: Let's not repeat last year. **

"Danny, you need a new woman in your life," announced a feminine voice with a British accent.

All eyes turned to the stylish brown haired woman. She purposefully made her way through the 5-0 headquarters and stopped a few feet in front of the former New Jersey detective.

First startled, Danny bounced back quickly. "I already have a woman in my life," he replied.

"I mean one that is actually your age, Daniel," she specified. "Grace should not be looking after you."

Chin and Kono exchanged nods as they both concluded that they were finally meting Danny's ex-wife. Steve rolled back on his heels. He crossed his arms and used one hand to cover the smile creeping onto his lips. This was promising to be entertaining.

"That's very sweet of her, but Gracie doesn't have to look after me," Danny argued.

_At the moment? Yes, she did_, everybody agreed silently.

"Danny, you look awful," Rachel stated bluntly.

_Awf__ul?_ The man looked like crap! Ashen complexion, red rimmed blue eyes with dark circles under them, even the blond hair was not so well gelled back; the facial hair, the white shirt, and the black tie all added to the eerie appearance. Danny looked like something a stray cat had dragged out of a cemetery. Over the last few days, Steve, Kono, and Chin had all made sure he was aware of it first thing in the morning. Typically, Danny had groaned and told them to drop it.

"What happened to: "no woman could ever put up with me?" the ex-husband redirected.

"It is still true. So you will make an effort, because it is the last year that I am doing _this_," Rachel said, emphasising her words by shoving a brown paper bag into his hands.

The detective peered into the bag. His revulsion for the content was instantaneous: hands went wide and the bag fell to the floor. "Whooo! Tell you what: you can stop right now. You don't have to keep doing _this _anymore. Never again. Really, you don't."

"Danny, shut up and pick up the bag," she ordered, doing her best to be patient with him.

"I am _not_ going near that _stuff_," he replied adamant.

"And I'm not going back to Grace with it, unless it's gone."

"Gracie," the father said the name fondly. "Why didn't you bring the little monkey?"

"Because she does not need to see _this_," said the little girl's mother, pointing at the mess he was. "Now, will you just pick up the bag and get on with it?"

Factoring in the tones of voice, the words and the hand gestures, it occurred to Steve that Danny and Rachel were very much alike. No wonder the couple had split.

"You're taking pleasure out of this, aren't you?" Danny accused her.

"Yes, I am," Rachel lied. She bent down and picked up the paper bag herself. Her demeanour softened as she offered it back to him. "Believe it or not, Danny, I still care about you very much. Knowing that you barely slept and ate ever since you started working on your annual project for Allison, over a week ago, is worrying everyone, including me." She drew in a deep breath. "Please, let's not repeat what happened last year."

"We're in Hawaii, remember? I'm not going to catch pneumonia, here," he assured her softly.

"Pneumonia, maybe not," she conceded. "A heat stoke is most likely. Come on, let get this over with. Maybe you could show me what you are working on?" she suggested, hopeful.

Danny finally accepted the bag and its content. "Thank you," he told her sincerely.

"You're welcome." She pointed to the bag. "I chose orange."

"Orange? This tastes _nothing_ like orange. I wish they'd stopped pretending giving actual flavours to this stuff," Danny ranted as he led her to his office and closed the door behind them.

The three remaining 5-0 detectives stared at them baffled.

Kono was the first to recover. "Did she say that he barely slept or ate for _over a week_? How could we have missed that?"

"I don't know, Cuz, but it certainly explains the Dead Man's look on his face," commented Chin Ho. "What do you think is in the bag?"

"Better yet, what is he working on?" asked Steve, watching his partner through his office's window. Danny retrieved a file folder and opened it up for his ex-wife to examine.

Almost an hour after walking in, Rachel left with the paper bag. On her way out, she asked Steve to make sure her stubborn ex-husband ate real food before the end of the day. When he inquired about what Danny was working on, she simply replied that it was not her story to tell.

Oh joy... Steve would have to drag it out the man.

000

**A/N: So what do you th****ink is in the bag? I hope I caught your interest. More is coming and you might just learn what Danny is working on. **


	7. Confronting Danny

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Time for Steve to confront Danny. Why do I have the impression he'd rather go against the Russian Mafia? Good luck Steve.**

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Second wave**

**7: Confronting Danny. **

After Rachel had left 5-0, Steve had generously given Danny half an hour to compose himself before walking into his office. He sat down uninvited and studied his partner. Whatever Rachel had fed her ex-husband had given him back some colours. The haggard look was still there, but the blond man seemed more relaxed. The folder he had opened for her to see was nowhere to be found.

Danny reluctantly tore his eyes away from his copy of their current case file.

"Rachel showing up, that was interesting," Steve began. Danny gave him a murderously look in return. Alright, that had been the wrong thing to say. He started again, going straight to the point. "What's with you and not sleeping nor eating for over a week?"

"Not hungry. No sleepy." Danny sighted impatiently. "What do you want?"

"I think I just said that. Let me rephrase: what are you working on?" Steve asked with genuine interest.

His partner opened his month to say something, but then decided otherwise. "It's not important," he finally dismissed with a loose hand gesture.

"Could fool me," Steve replied.

"Look, everything's fine. Could you just drop it, please?"

"No, I can't. Everything is not fine. You're not _sleeping_ nor _eating_ because of whatever it is you're working on," Steve challenged. "That sounds like something important to me."

Danny fidgeted nervously in his chair. "Really, it's not. And I'm filled now; ready to go. Didn't you want to interview Henry Marks, again?"

"I sent Kono and Chin," the Lieutenant-Commander replied. "Didn't you notice?" Danny shook his head ever so slightly. "Your brain's probably already turning into mush from this unhealthy lifestyle you picked up_._ I don't want you backing me up if you're sick."

"Is that what it takes for me to no longer have to back up your crazy plans?"

Steve looked back at his partner feeling a little hurt. Danny was tired, angry and defensive. He knew better than to take anything the man said personally, but it was getting harder to do as their friendship grew. Steve wondered if the brake up between Danny and Rachel had started that way.

_Hey!__ You aren't married to the guy_, he told himself. _Be patient_. _Danny needs help, so much that his ex-wife just walked out of the blue to look after him. That sure says something! _

At the best of times, Danny tended to be flamboyant in his rants, but his true feelings were often hiding in shadows clouding his eyes. The former New Jersey detective might doubt it, but Steve could detect these things in people too. But what was it this time? Was Danny being his usual overly dramatic self or had he meant something else?

"Brah, if you don't want to be my partner anymore, you should just say so," he told the man.

Danny's face lost the little colour it had regained. Shocked blue eyes finally met his and Steve cursed himself. That had been the wrong thing to say too.

"No! I- I didn't mean it that way," Danny assured him. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he finally robbed his tired face with them. "Maybe you're right. You're always right anyway. At least, that's what you like to think. My sleep deprived brain must be turning into much. I should leave – go home – before I say something I'll regret."

"Danny, if you need anything, you know you can ask me, right?" Steve verified, failing to meet the other man's gaze once again.

"I know. Thank you. But I don't need anything. Everything's fine. I'm just a bit… stressed because of this project," Danny said as he opened a drawer and picked up the folder he had showed Rachel earlier.

"The supposedly not important project," confirmed Steve.

"Right." His partner rose to his feet. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Get some rest, Danno. I'll call you tonight. We'll do dinner."

"Don't bother," Danny told him.

"But I will," Steve called back.

000

**A/N: So nothing on the bag, but w****e've learned that Danny is working on something important to him. I guess things could have gone worse between the two. Isn't Steve a good friend?**


	8. Time Out

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: I don't remember if it was ever mentioned that Danny had siblings. I took some liberties there. I had some trouble with a few English expressions. I hope it will be okay. Enjoy!**

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Second wave**

**8: Time Out. **

The sun was setting on the state of Hawaii, giving Paradise a golden glow. Steve had called Danny from the parking lot by the man's apartment, not providing him much of a chance to back out of his dinner invitation. Danny showed up less than ten minutes later, wearing jeans and a blue T-shirt.

"You know, Danno," Steve greeted, grinning widely. "You can wear that to work, everyday. As your boss, I won't mind at all."

"Didn't we have this conversation before?" Danny replied as he settled into the passenger's seat. "At least, one of us should look like a professional and you, my friend, definitely don't. The tie stays."

Steve smiled as he put the car into drive. _They were off to a great start_, he decided. "So, what would you like to eat? My treat," he offered.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather we just do coffee," his friend said.

"I mind," Steve told him. "Besides, coffee isn't food. Rachel said _real_ food and that's what we're going to have. I was thinking Vietnamese," Danny responded with a noncommittal head shake. "How about a steak and a side salad? You need some greens into you."

As expected, Danny shuttered at the mention of vegetables. "Health freak," he muttered. "Let just do pizza. No pineapple," he added with a warning finger.

"On your share, that is. I actually like some on mine," Steve taunted him. "Okay, pizza it is. I actually know this great little Italian place not so far away."

Silence fell between them. It felt rather strange to Steve. As much as Danny's rants could irate him, his silences could drive him crazy. At least when Danny was exploding in his face, Steve knew where to stand – well, most of the times. When Danno was clamming up, he worried about possible earth chattering implosion.

"A drawing."

"Excuse-me?" Steve asked, confused.

"You asked what I'm working on. The answer is a _drawing_."

Steve looked at him with incredulity. "Seriously? A drawing is what has you all worked up?"

"Whooo!" Danny cried out. "Will you keep your eyes on the road? Please! I'm stressed enough at it is. You don't have to try to kill me to add to the effect." He sighted in relief as Steve brought back his full attention on the road. "Maniac."

"You're stressing over a drawing, okay. What kind of drawing?"

"Sort of a cartoon thing with lot's of details," Danny replied vaguely.

"But can you draw?" Steve asked as he parked the car into the restaurant's parking lot.

"Can I draw?" Danny repeated, losing his patience. "Of course, I can draw. I would not be making a drawing if I couldn't draw, would I."

"Then, why all the stress?"

"Because the thing is estimated at 15,000$ and I haven't finished it yet," Danny answered, sounding almost defeated. "The one I did last year rose 18, 600$."

Mouth opened, Steve stared at Danny as he got out of the car.

"You're coming, or not?" Danny called from the main entrance of the bistro. Steve joined him at the door. "'Thought you'd have me do the eating thing alone, for a minute. Don't look at me like that, just go in."

A young hostess greeted them warmly and guided them to the soft lighted terrace. The sun had almost set completely. The evening was cool and comfortable. A few feet below, waves were gently rolling on the sandy beach.

"Can I offer you anything to drink?"

"Two beers, please," Steve said automatically.

"No beer for me, thank you," Danny told her. "Coffee will be fine."

"You shouldn't drink coffee, it's going to keep you awake all night," Steve argued.

"That might be the intent, besides a beer would make me drunk by the third sip," Danny admitted.

"If the reason why didn't worry me, I'd made a joke about it," replied his friend.

"Thank you for refraining yourself." Danny looked back at the young woman. "We'll have a large pizza with pepperoni and cheese on one side and the works on the other." Turning to Steve: "You're serious about the pineapples, because that's just isn't right?"

He grinned. "No, I can do without them for one night. Please, make it an extra large with the works on both sides. No pineapple."

Danny consented with a nod. "An extra large?" he questioned, as the hostess walked away.

"I'll try not to eat it all so that you can have some leftovers for tomorrow."

"That's very kind of you."

Silent fell between them again. Steve searched nervously for the best way to bring back the conversation to the drawings. Danny gave him a sideways look, and then rolled his eyes.

"It's for a fundraising event, back in New Jersey," he provided. Before he could say more, the young woman returned with their drinks.

"For Allison?" Danny met his eyes, surprised. "Rachel mentioned the project was for Allison. Isn't she your sister?"

"Impressive detective work," Danny commented. "Yeah, she is. Allie is two years older than I am. When she was fifteen, she was diagnosed with leukemia. There wasn't much I could do, except give her some of my bone marrow and draw some pictures to make her hospital room 'homy'."

Danny's gazed drowned into the depths of his coffee mug. Steve waited patiently, aware that the subject was eliciting painful memories. Eventually, a tender loving smile formed onto his friend's lips. The kind of smile Danno usually reserved for Gracie.

"Allie always loved my drawings, especially those of animals. To cheer her up one day in December, I started giving the animals pieces of clothing. The first one was a beluga with earmuffs and mitts, and then came birds with hats and an octopus wearing stockings. You get the idea?" Steve nodded with a smile. "'Suffices to say that it became a huge deal on the ward and one of the administrators asked me to do a piece for the upcoming annual fundraising event."

"Wow…" Steve breathed, impressed. "Have you been doing one ever since?"

"Yes, going on almost 20 years. Some years, I did more than one, presented at various occasions. It became quite a huge collection. The Foundation, for whom Allie works for now, uses the drawing as part of their marketing. People expect it. Some have bought more than one. Hence, the pressure."

"You ever thought of doing it professionally?" Steve asked.

"I have for a couple of years before become a cop," Danny said. "I had to give it up, it was too stressful."

"Man, the things that stress you up are beyond me," Steve teased.

Danny laughed. "Yeah, my family would agree with you."

"So, are you going to show me that drawing once you're done?"

"I guess I could," Danny considered. "The previous one can be found online. I'll send you the URL."

"Thansks, I'd like that."

A more comfortable silence returned between them until the pizza was served a few minutes later. Halfway through the first slice, Steve looked up at his partner with interest.

"Say, Danny, I meant to ask you: what was in the bag that Rachel brought over?" His friend first stared blankly, and then his face suddenly turned green. Steve almost panicked, fearing he would sick, right there on the table. He felt a pang of guilt. That had defiantly been the wrong thing to ask. "Danno, look at me. Take a deep breath. Forget I ask, okay? You have a record to keep, remember? Just concentrate on the pizza."

"Not helping… Just shut up," Danny said, focusing on his breathing. "Man, I hate you. I hate you so much some times."

"I know."

000

**A/N: **** That's it for this second waves. I hope you liked it. As for what was in the bag… We might learn what was in it one day, because waves come and goes. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. **

(Dec. 2010)


	9. Taking the Call

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Ready for a new wave? This one does not relate to the first two. You'll notice that I decided give Danny both a younger sister, Allison, and a younger brother, Patrick, making him the oldest of the three. Hope you don't mind the creative licence on this. **

**Thank you so much, Marie Thea, for beta-reading the story. To me, that was AMAZING! I appreciate the help and the suggestions – they make it even more fun to work on these stories.**

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Third wave**

**9: Taking the Call.**

"I'm just saying, _this time,_ you could have backed me up," Danny told his partner, as Steve drove them back to the Palace. He was angry, frustrated, and even more disappointed at the other man's apparent lack of faith in his ability to subdue violent criminals. "The guy was about to lower his weapon. But what do you do? You open your month and question my tactics in front of the suspect, _again_. "

"You were—"

"Shut up." Danny cut him off, an accusing finger in the air for added emphasis. "Just shut up. I was not putting the creep to sleep as you like to think. I was convincing him to surrender. If you would ever let me finish what I start before shooting everybody, you might notice that I'm usually pretty good at what I do."

"Are you done?" asked Steve, clearly getting irritated.

"No, I am not," Danny retorted, Steve's interruption aggravating his already too-volatile temper. Though, before he could continue, his cell phone shrilled. He frowned at the ringtone he had set for his younger brother. He took a deep breath to steady his voice, glanced at his watch, and answered his cell.

"What are you doing up at such an unruly hour?" he asked in lieu of greeting, knowing his brother should be in New Jersey, and finding worry under his anger. His brother didn't just call when he knew Danny was working.

"Danny? You okay, bro?"

_So much for appearing nonchalant_, thought Danny. He took another deep breath. "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that. Let me try again. Hi Pat, how are you?"

Patrick chuckled knowingly. "I'm good, thanks." In the few seconds of silence that followed, the detective could have sworn he felt the atmosphere thicken. "Danny, I need to talk to you about Allison," Patrick said, referring to their sister.

"Allie? Is she all right?" He straightened his seat, suddenly on alert.

Steve gave his partner a concerned glance.

"She's fine," Patrick assured him. "You might just have saved her life."

"That's very nice of me. How did I manage to do that?" Danny asked him.

"There was a gas leak in her building; she recognized the smell and alerted the authorities," his brother said.

"Way to go, Allie!"

A few years back, when Allison had decided to move out on her own, Danny had set up a meeting with a firefighter friend, so that that his visually impaired sister could learn how to detect fire hazards, using her other senses.

"She did great!" agreed the youngest of the Williams' siblings. "She might have prevented a major catastrophe."

Danny heard Pat sigh at the other end, and worry crept back into the pit of his stomach.

"Dan, have you talked to her recently?"

"To Allie? Sure, Grace and I call her every Saturday. Why?"

"I think someone might have broken into her apartment."

"What? When?"

"Two days ago," Patrick said. "We were talking to the firefighters and Allie remembered taking note of something odd in her apartment: her furniture was slightly off. She thought that the housekeeper had knocked them over and forgotten to tell her. I talked to Nancy and she assured me that she didn't move anything. But when Allie says the furniture was rearranged, I believe her."

"I do too," said the older brother. "She relies on it too much to not recognize if it moved."

"Danny, maybe I'm overreacting, but…a break in and a gas leak…"

"Are sources of concerns," Danny finished for him. "Tell you what: I'll hop on the first plane back to Jersey. I'll be there in a couple of hours. Can you take her home?"

"Of course."

"I'll place a call to Lieutenant Harris, my former supervisor, and a friend of mine at the US Fire Administration. I'm sure they won't mind looking into this for us. I'll also ask Lt. Harris to put a security detail on you two."

"Okay, maybe you're the one overreacting?" argued his brother, having second thoughts.

"You don't know what overreacting is, Pat," Danny told him. "I have a prime example sitting right beside me."

Steve gave him a dirty look.

Pat snorted. "Does McGarrett still think he's Rambo?"

"You have no idea."

"Careful, bro," warned Patrick, not for the first time. "Guys like that will get you killed."

"Thanks for reminding me." Danny sighed. "Well, I'll call you back when I know more. Tell Allie I love her and that I'll be there soon."

"I will tell her. Thanks, Dan," Patrick said, before disconnecting the call.

"What's going on?" Steve said, bringing him out of his troubled thoughts.

"I'm not sure," he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the passing Hawaiian coast line.

"Can I help?"

_And end up shooting all my family by mistake_? He thought darkly. He was still so angry at Steve for his latest stunt. "You know what? I can't deal with you, right now. Could you just drive?"

Steve nodded, knowing better than to push at this point.

000

**A/N: ****I hope I got you interested. Stay tuned, things are about to heat up. **

(Dec. 2010)


	10. The Way It Is Done In New Jersey

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: The third wave of ROLLING IN WAVES became a tsunami! Since it has so many parts already, I decided to post them as a separate story, entitled TAKEN. Don't be surprised if you read its first instalment already because I kept the original posting in ROLLING IN WAVES. **

**Many thanks to my friend Catherine for going over this ****story during a quiet moment at the museum.**

**In this FORTH WAVE, Danny to do things is way, ****showing how real police work is done. **

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: FORTH WAVE **

**10-****The way it is done in New Jersey **

His ex-wife would have said that he was paranoid or, his all time favourite, that trouble followed him everywhere. Well, Danny Williams was ready to disprove the latter by pointing out that the suspicious black van, parked in front of his daughter's school, was already there when he arrived. As for the former, all parents should be wary of strange looking vehicles parked in front of their child's school. Period.

Still, Danny hesitated for a second, maybe two; long enough to wonder if he still was afraid of the leverage his ex-wife had regarding his visiting rights with his daughter. The short answer was: no, but he sure was tired of all their fighting.

Trusting his instincts, the detective picked up his cell phone and dialled HPD Dispatch. He first asked the operator to run the plate. When it turned out to belong to a stolen van, Danny provided his location and requested some backup. He also demanded that 5-0 be informed that he was investigating a possible kidnapping.

"One last thing," he told the dispatcher. "Call the school security. Have them keep the kids inside until HPD gives the 'all clear'."

"Understood, Detective," the operator confirmed.

They disconnected as Danny kept on surveying the scene. They did not have a lot of time ahead of them. The school day was about to be over and already a lot of people were awaiting the hundreds of kids about to rush through the front doors.

As he waited for HPD to show up, Danny pondered the various unknowns in this situation. Was it really a kidnapping attempt or was there another intention? If it was a kidnapping attempt, who was targeted? It had better not be Grace, thought Danny. If his daughter was remotely in danger because of something 5-0 was involved in, he swore to God he would kill Steve before Rachel could kill him.

Less than five minutes later, a text message on his cell phone informed him of the arrival of two cruisers on the scene. From his rear-view mirror, he could see one of them parked a few cars behind him. Danny popped the trunk open, and then got out of the Camaro. He quickly retrieved his Kevlar vest before slipping behind a tree. Two patrols officers met up with him while the other team blocked the access up the road.

They agreed that the two officers would walk up to the van from both sides, while the detective would cover the rear of the vehicle. By the time the two occupants saw the officers, it was too late for them to try to drive away.

Suddenly, the rear doors of the van opened and a third man jumped out, attempting to make a run for it. Danny immediately tackled him to the ground.

"Police!" he announced himself as he pulled out his handcuff. "You're under arrest for car theft. That's for starters."

By the time the rest of his team showed, Danny had identified and secured the targeted child: a nine year-old boy. Children and school personnel had been allowed to leave. Gracie was patiently waiting for him in the principal's office, under the watchful eye of her teacher.

"See, Steve," Danny began, one hand ready to highlight an enumeration. "Back up, protective gear, potential victims out of harm's way, and an arrest without any bloodshed, explosion, nor even a single shot fired. It might not fulfill your secret superhero desires, but this, my friend, is real police work. Now, this is all yours. I'm done for the day."

"No you're not," Steve objected.

"Yes, I am. I'm losing precious time with my daughter."

"Right," Steve understood. Knowing better than to argue, he added: "Go. Great job, Danno."

"I will not let you forget this," Danny told him.

Steve snorted. "I'm sure you won't."

A smile of pure satisfaction crept upon Danny's lips as he walked away.

000

End of FORTH WAVE.

**A/N: A wave in a single part…**** Wow! I hope you enjoyed it. **

(Dec. 2010)


	11. Unseen Tears

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A****/N: The first wave of 2011 is starting on a sad note. A sad song and a bittersweet picture are to blame. **

**Warning: The story has not been proof-read by a native English speaker. I read this scene multiple times, but some mistakes might still lurk in the text. If you are not offended by possible typos and my broken English, please read on and enjoy! **

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Fifth wave**

**Unseen ****Tears**

Earlier that day, Grace had come home from her weekend with her father looking preoccupied and sad. Like Danny, the little girl tended to clam up when upset or worried. She was so much like her father in that regard, it pained her mother. By bedtime, Rachel found her daughter sitting in bed, absently playing with a toy dolphin. She sat beside the child and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Sweetie, you've been sad ever since you came back. Did something go wrong while you were with your father?"

Grace did not look up at her. She bit her lower lip. "Mommy, are we leaving again?" she finally asked with apprehension.

The question was unexpected. "Leaving from Hawaii, you mean?" The little girl nodded. "No, we are not. Why?"

Lips tight, Grace stayed silent for a few seconds. "Is Danno leaving?"

Rachel felt a pang of uncertainty. "I would not think so, Sweetie. Your father came here to be close to you. Danno loves you very much. I do not see him leaving Hawaii, unless you do. What makes you think any of us would be leaving?"

Grace took a deep breath, fighting her tears. "Danno's very sad again. He tries to be happy, but he's not. Today, he cried."

"Danny cried?" Even as she said it, Rachel had difficulty imagining her ex-husband showing anything other than anger and frustration. That was unfair, she told herself as an afterthought. Danny expressed his love for Gracie every moment he was with her.

"He did. He cried like when we left New Jersey and he could not come with us."

Rachel knew Danny had cried then. She had not seen the tears, but she remembered the red-rimmed blue eyes and the false smile, firmly in place for their daughter's sake. When upset, Danny was the type to lash with angry words or with unbearable silences, not with tears. For him to cry, especially in front of Grace, was troublesome.

Grace's confidence fuelled Rachel's conflicting emotions towards her ex-husband. Danny was sources of anger, sadness, and pure madness some times. He also was someone she had loved, feared for, and still admired the courage and dedication. Danny was an excellent father and for that Rachel would be forever grateful. She was not insensitive to him hurting in any way. "Your father did not tell you why he was crying?"

"No," said Grace. "He held me tight and told me to always remember that he loves me, even if we're never together again for some reason."

"You know, Gracie, some times your father sees bad things at work, things that make him sad. Holding you in his arms and knowing that you are well, safe, and loved make him feel a lot better."

"But he didn't look better when I left," the child argued. "Steve said it was because Danno was tired, but… Danno doesn't cry when he's tired. He cries when he's sad, like I do."

Steve had drove Grace back home, today. Her relationship with her ex-husband becoming more amicable of late, Rachel had not questioned it. Besides, she knew Danny's devotion for Gracie to be such that he would have had a good reason for not doing it himself. Now, Rachel was concerned about what that reason might be.

_Danny Williams, you better be careful out there_, she thought. "What else did Steve tell you?" she asked her daughter.

"That he'll be there for Danno and make sure he's all right."

"I would not worry, Sweetheart," said Rachel. "I have no doubt that Steve will keep your father safe and sound." If only she could believe it herself...

000

**A/N: I first intended for this wave to go further, but all of my ideas sounded overdramatic and something I might have done before. So I guess this is it. Although, I would love to know what you think might have made Danny cry.**** Thank you for reading and reviewing. **

(Jan. 2011)


	12. The Icebreaker

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: When the fifth wave hit me, I wasn't sure if I would pursue it. I did not like where it was going. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on what could have made Danny cried. It helped me moved on with the story. **

**This part and the next have been inspired by your comments and three conversations: One with my best friend, a marine biologist, about a fish tank; a second with a friend from Argentina I meet everyday at the bus stop; and a third with a Vietnam veteran, now acclaimed poet. As the former likes to say, "When it comes to writing, I am a thief." Well, so am I. Thank you all for sharing your inspiration and creativity. **

**Warning: The story has not been proof-read by a native English speaker. If you are not offended by possible typos and my broken English, please read on and enjoy! **

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Fifth Wave**

**12:**** The icebreaker**

**The day before…**

Having hit a dead end in their current case, Steve and Danny were going back to their first witness for a second interview. Mariana Diaz, originally from Argentina, had moved to Hawaii with her husband and their six year-old boy, Miguel. Three years later, the hubby was now her ex and his dealings were turning out to be somewhat questionable. Arguing that when a child was involved nothing was clear cut between an ex-couple, Danny had proposed that they talk to Mariana again.

"At the next set of lights, make a right turn on Kahaloa Street," Danny told his partner.

From the driver's seat, Steve gave him an inquisitive glance. "What's on Kahaloa Street?"

"A pet store," replied Danny.

"What could you possibly want at a pet store?" asked Steve.

"A bone for you," said Danny deadpan.

"Funny," grumbled the driver. "We're going to a witness' house – a witness _you_ suggested we re-interview. It isn't the best time to stop at a pet store."

"I know where we're going and _it is_ the perfect time to stop at a pet store," said Danny, hands emphasis every words as always. "I can't possibly change the filter in the fish tank if I don't bring a filter in the first place, can I?"

"You want to go back to Mariana's to change the filter in her fish tank?" questioned Steve.

"Not specifically," answered Danny. "I want an opportunity to have a chat with Miguel while you talk with Mariana. It's an icebreaker. Stuff like that makes kids at ease. Considering how bad you are with children, I don't expect you to understand."

"Hey! I'm not bad with children," said Steve. "I'm good with Grace. Well, I'm good enough for you to let me close to her."

The father pondered his point for a few seconds. "Yes, you are good with Grace."

This straight and candid recognition from Danny warmed Steve's heart more than he ever thought it would. As much as his partner could rant and exaggerate, Danny was also fair and honest. Steve admired those qualities. "Thank you." he said on a tone that did not let on too much on the depth of his feelings. Doing so would just put the two partners ill at ease. "Changing the filter is very nice of you. I'm sure the fish's going to appreciate it."

"Well, the poor thing deserves to be saved, too."

_And__ Danny has a huge heart_, Steve added to his train of thoughts. "Had a fish tank when you were growing up?"

"More like 35," replied Danny. "Back in high school, I had a part time job in my Uncle Lane's pet store. I learned to clean fish tanks and a heck of lot of other things that make me glad Gracie doesn't bringing Mr. Hoppy when she comes over for the weekend."

Steve grinned. "I bet."

A few minutes later, the Camaro was parked in front of store. "Stay, I'll be right back," said Danny.

Steve was about to protest by making a barking sound, but thought otherwise. Danny was too capable of retaliating by buying him a dog bone. Something he liked a little less about his partner.

000

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. A third and final part to the fifth wave is coming. **

(Jan. 2011)


	13. The Firefight

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Writing this small part was a bit brutal for me, I hope it won't be for you. **

**Warning: The story has not been proof-read by a native English speaker. If you are not offended by possible typos and my broken English, please read on and enjoy! **

**000**

**Rolling in Waves: Fifth Wave**

**13: The Firefight**

A lot of things from his first years as a cop had faded from memory. Upsetting reactions to disturbing scenes had been shoved aside and fears had been mostly conquered by experience. However, Danny could still remember clearly his first firefight. That particular moment, when it had drawn upon him that someone out there _really_ wanted him dead, had shocked him.

Technically: he had been well trained to handle the situation, psychologically: not such much. Other than the routine inquiry into the incident, not many words had been exchanged with anyone about it. His captain had patted him on the back and congratulated him for a job well done. Later, senior officers had taken him out for a few drinks. The alcohol had helped, but it could only go so far. At least, Danny had been an adult at the time.

He held Miguel's shaking little body tightly into his arms. As he sheltered the child from flying bullets, Danny could not wrapped his mind around why anyone would want a nine year-old to die so bad. Of course, Miguel was probably not the intended target. Mariana, Steve and he mostly likely were. The end result was another innocent little boy caught in a senseless war. Danny had seen too many of those already and it was increasingly difficult to deal with since he had become a parent.

From the floor of the living room, Danny could hear Steve firing his gun from the kitchen. He wished he could back up his partner, but he and Miguel were pinned down. Until they were out of danger, Danny's full attention would remain on the safety of the child. Besides, Super SEAL could handle a firefight on his own. Given Steve propensity to rush in dire situations without proper back up, Danny often wondered why he was in for the ride in the first place. His partner was probably enjoying himself, not that he would ever admit it. That was fine; Danny was not sure he really wanted to know anyway.

Sometime between comforting Miguel and reassuring himself, Danny realized that the guns had stopped firing. Sirens coming from the street were now blaring louder. The detective scrambled to his feet and picked up Miguel into his arms. Cautiously, he made his way to the kitchen. He found his partner crouched to the floor beside Mariana's lifeless body. Steve shook his head. Danny nodded in response. Trying to comfort Miguel, who was now screaming for his mother, he returned to the living room. He stepped around the broken glass tank and ignored the dead fish on the wooden floor.

000

**A/N: With this third part ends the Fifth Wave.**** I'm looking forward to move on to something else – something a bit less emotionally charged (for me, anyway). I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading. **


	14. The Pineapple Effect

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Like a lot of other quirks Danny has, his hatred for pineapples (especially in the fanon) has been intriguing me from the get go.**

**I' wish to thank Marie Thea for doing a wonderful job at proofing the story and making spot on suggestions. You're the best!**

**000**

**Rolling in Waves: Sixth Wave**

**14: The Pineapple Effect**

Steve barely had time to see the road sign as he drove the Camaro forward at full speed. Motivated by Danny's encouragements, he was determined not to lose their fleeing suspects. Steve did not need a road sign anyway. He knew where they were heading. He also knew his partner was going to have a fit about it.

"A pineapple plantation?" blurted Danny. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Steve did not hide his smile. "Welcome to hell," he said.

"No, no, no, not funny," Danny retorted, bracing himself against the passenger door as Steve took a sharp turn. "Man, I— I can't go in there."

"Where? Hell? According to you, that's where you've been ever since you got to Hawaii," Steve said, enjoying the situation before Danny's rant went full blown.

"Yes, hell; this is definitely hell and you're the devil, driving me straight into it." Danny rambled, voice quivering. "You have got to let me out, like _now_! Pineapples: no can do. Understand?"

"No, I don't," he said, frustrated. Danny's hatred for the fruit was one of the man's many quirks that Steve did not get. Trying to reason with him on these issues was like banging your head against a wall. "Danny, I know you don't like pineapples, but I'm not deciding where we're going. The perps are. Cut me a break, here. Okay? Besides, pineapples won't kill you."

"But, _they can_," Danny insisted. "I don't have my Epipen with me. It's too cumbersome to carry around all the time and it gets too hot during the day to keep it in the car."

Steve spared him a quick look, surprise and concern both showing on his face. "Epipen? You mean, you're _allergic_ to pineapples?"

"Pineapples, passion fruits, papayas, litchis… the list go on," Danny replied, eyes fixed on the long rows of pineapple plants now lining each side of the road.

"And you're telling me this _now_?" Steve said with incredulity. "I thought you were just picky and didn't like fruit."

"You're right; I don't like fruit. They make me _sick_. I usually dislike things for a reason, Steven," Danny told him, using his formal name to add emphasis to his point. "I dislike your driving because it's going to get me killed one day, and I dislike pineapples because they could do that too. Knowing my luck both will probably conspire to kill me simultaneously, _today!_ I'm so dead," he added dramatically.

"Danno, relax," Steve told him. "First , I'm a very good driver."

"So you like to tell yourself."

Steve ignored him. "Second, I'm not going to let pineapple kill you."

"Because you getting me shot would be so much more "honourable"," Danny said, finger quoting the last word. "That's so wrong, but thank you. It's reassuring…sort of."

"You know we can't stop," Steve said. "We've almost got Boone and Hale."

"I know. I know, we can't let them go. Just don't lose them," Danny instructed. "Maybe we'll only pass through hell."

"Right, maybe," Steve nodded.

Boone's dark blue Chevy Silverrado skidded to a halt in the parking lot of the main pineapple processing plant. Both suspects sprang out of the truck, each man taking off in a different direction. So much for hoping they would only pass through the plantation.

"Great, that's just great," mumbled Danny. "You can go after Boone with the car. I'll run after Hale."

Steve hesitate, concerned. "Danny—"

"Slow down already so I can get out without killing myself."

They had a job to do and Danny was up for it. No matter what, Steve always knew he could count on his partner to step up to the plate. Danny's dedication for his work was one of the reasons he had chosen the former New Jersey detective for partner. Steve had never regretted it, even when Danny's endless tirades nearly drove him mad.

Steve slowed long enough to let Danny out of the car and then sped back up towards Boone. Hands clenched on the starring wheel, he fixed his eyes on his target. He had to catch the smuggler, run over him with the Camaro if he needed to, but he had to do it fast. Danny had taken off towards the inside of the plant and that could not be good.

Closing the distance with Boone, Steve stressed the man enough to make him fall as he tried to jump off the road and into the field. He slammed the car to stop and jumped out. Boone was quickly back on his feet and ready for a fight. The smuggler got Steve in the face. The SEAL retaliated with a hit in the gut that had Boone doubled over. He then sent the man down with a knock behind the head. Steve retrieved his handcuffs and locked them around Boone's wrists. He hauled him up and shoved him face down on the back sit of the car.

Danny was going to be pleased about at least _one_ thing, Steve thought as he drove back to the plant. He had managed to make an arrest without firing his gun. Heck, his partner had better be impressed!

Steve bit his lower lip nervously. And Danno had better be all right…

000

Danny sprinted after Hale towards the main building. Pineapples or not, he had a suspect to catch and that was what he intended to do. He reserved himself the right to rant about how much he hated this pineapple-infested hellhole later. He would rant, curse, and shout for as long as it took for everyone on this God-forsaken island to know how much he hated it. More importantly, Danny would make sure Steve heard every word he had to say about this so-called "paradise". Of course, all this assumed that he would have the voice to do it, that he would not be choking from an anaphylaxis reaction. His breath hitched. Maybe it was better not to think about that and focus on the job at hand.

As he followed Hale inside the pineapple processing plant, the 5-0 detective became conscientious of employees working at various conveyer belts. Yelling, he identified himself as a police officer and ordered Hale to stop, which of course the latter disregarded entirely.

As Danny's gaze swept the room, he counted over half a dozen workers, mainly women, scattered around. It was not the best place to draw his gun at the running man. Steve would probably do it without hesitation, but Danny was not a crazy-trigger-happy-Neanderthal-one-man-commando. He was a professional trained to protect innocents, like his daughter Grace, from unscrupulous drug smugglers like Hale and Boone. That said, under the current circumstances, shooting Hale and getting the hell away from the pineapples was appealing. Still, Danny held on to that alternative. Unless his fleeing suspect pulled a weapon in his direction, the detective would work on tackling the guy.

A lift bringing crates inside the triage facility blocked Hale's main escape route, and the suspect made a beeline toward the far end of the large room. Danny ran on a direct intercept course. Forced into a confrontation with the detective, Hale grabbed a nearby wooded crate and tossed it at him, sending dirt and pineapple scraps in the air. While Danny ducked, Hale took off toward a group of women taking in the scene, apprehensively. Frightened, the workers abandoned their stations. Seizing an opportunity, Hale picked up a discarded knife and turned to face his pursuer. He took a step back, startled by the gun aimed at him.

"Drop the knife, Hale," Danny ordered, breathing heavily. The smuggler hesitated. "It's over. Drop the knife or I will shoot you. Understand?"

Danny's itching eyes were starting to run and his lips were swelling. He was sure to be as red as a beet already. As Hale complied with his demand, Danny wondered if the man realized the detective was serious because of his weapon or his crazy appearance.

"On the ground, hands behind your head," he wheezed out. Gun in one hand, he retrieved his handcuffs with the other.

Hale did as he was told. "Man, you don't sound so good," he taunted, stating the obvious.

"Don't get any ideas." Danny coughed, making a gurgling sound. "I can still shoot you… although… I might get your head while aiming at your shoulder," he panted, as he cuffed the smugglers.

"Danno!"

As much as Danny was glad to hear his partner's voice, he cringed at the sound of his favourite nickname coming from Steve's mouth. Why could the man not understand that "Danno" was one of the few precious things only he and Gracie could share? Each time Steve used it, Danny felt that little bond being threatened. Deep down, he knew the SEAL did not mean it that way. It was just another misguided expression of friendship. As Danny stood there, less and less able to breathe, this entire train of thought about Steve's attempts at normalcy became unbelievably trivial. Thinking of his beloved daughter was not helping either.

Feeling lightheaded, fear gripped him.

"Boss, he's over here," called Kono from somewhere to his right, urgency in her voice.

Thank God, the cousins had finally caught up with them. The Cruze had been a few minutes behind the Camaro and Danny had feared Chin and Kono had lost their trail.

His adrenaline wearing off quickly, he was breathless and tired. With his team ready to handle Boone and Hale, his job was done. He could finally walk away from the despised pineapples.

The rookie's eyes went wide at the sight of him. "Oh brah… this is not good."

"Got this?" he croaked out, loosely gesturing at Hale.

"Sure do," Kono assured him.

"And I've got you," Steve added as he took Danny by the shoulders to steady him.

000

Steve's chest tightened at seeing Danny all red and puffy, unable to draw a healthy breath. His first impulse was to drive his partner to the nearest hospital himself, but Danny was sure to suffocate in the car from the heat, not to mention from an adverse reaction to his driving. So instead, Steve called for emergency medical services as they slowly exited the plant.

Once outside, they were joined by Kono and Chin who had already secured their prisoners in different vehicles. They lowered Danny down in the shade by the Camaro. Steve sat beside his partner and put a comforting hand on his resting arm.

"EMS dispatched medevac," he told him. "It's going to be here in about five minutes. So keep on breathing, Okay? And no sleeping."

By the time, the EMS's helicopter reached the pineapple processing plant, Steve and Kono had been performing CPR for over two minutes.

000

Epinephrine and Benadryl shocked Danny's airways into opening up. It took two jolts of the defibrillator to get his heart back into normal sinus rhythm. Stable enough for transport, Danny was loaded into the helicopter and flown to Honolulu General Hospital.

With his partner looked after by the doctors, the Head of 5-0 went back to work to tie a few loose ends in their case. Being the boss had its drawbacks. Hours later, Steve pulled back a chair by Danny's bed in the ER. With the Benadryl wearing off, his friend was expected to wake up soon.

Danny's heart was now beating strongly and he was breathing on his own, only assisted by a nasal cannula. Still, uncertainty lingered. Danny had gone into cardiac arrest due to lack of oxygen. Until he woke up, there was no way to tell if there would be serious brain damage. Steve had been told to expect some memory lost. If Danny did not remember today, that was fine by him. Every other member of the close knit team would never forget their horror at their friend suffocate.

The doctor's warning that any further contact with pineapple would kill Danny in mere seconds was not lost on Steve. From now on, they would always have an Epipen close by. Steve would carry it himself, if Danny was too stubborn to do it. Of course, until today, Danny had done a good job at avoiding pineapples– making his dislike for the fruit very vocal. If Steve had known about the allergy though, he would have been sure to have the epinephrine on hand.

Danny's hands started to move. Always the hands first, thought Steve with a relieved smile. He rang for the doctor. "Danny, can you hear me?"

The attending physician, a black-haired petite woman, joined him in coaxing the sleepy man in waking up. Long minutes passed before confused light blue eyes looked up at them.

"Danny, do you know where you are?" asked the Doctor.

"Hospital," he croaked out.

"That's right," she said, checking his pupil's reactions with a penlight. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Tues—?" he hesitated. "Are we still Tuesday?"

"Yes, we are," she replied, smiling. "How about this man?" she said, pointing at Steve.

"Is my Neanderthal partner," Danny replied, deadpan.

Steve grinned. "He's fine," he declared. "Welcome back, Danno."

"Don't call me Danno."

"Sorry, can't help it," he said, unrepentant. "Do you remember what happened?"

Danny shocked his head. "No, but it feels like the pineapple effect."

"That would be good detective work," Steve told him.

Danny shot him an alarmed glare.

"Don't worry. You're going to be fine," Steve promised. "I won't let a pineapple ever harm you again."

"Good luck with that, Super SEAL," Danny said with a tired smile. "They're _everywhere._"

000

**The end. **

**A/N: This one was inspired by my own food allergies. Ironically, pineapples are one of the few fruits I don't react to. I hope the story was not overdone. I imagined that a pineapple allergy in Hawaii was just as hazardous as a seafood one in Atlantic Canada. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

**(Jan. 2011) **


	15. Little Groundhog

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: This ****new wave ties with the SECOND WAVES in which we discovered that Danny had talent for drawing. It takes a look at Danny and Rachel's past and their unresolved feelings. I was also inspired by the amazing work of one of my friends. The story is an AU and it is sappy, but I don't think it is too bad. Let me know what you think. **

**I also want to take the opportunity to thank Marie Thea for beta-reading he part. Thank you, Marie! You help is very precious. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: ****Seventh Wave**

**15: Little Groundhog**

As Rachel goes through her eight-year-old daughter's agenda to review the child's study plan, a drawing catches her attention. She smiles fondly at the monkey cutting a banana into various fractions, providing the answers of a past math assignment. The book is filled with funny cartoon animals conveying messages of love and encouragement. It is becoming a piece of art in itself and it is a tribute to the special relationship Grace shares with her father.

Relaxing in her chair, Rachel places the agenda on her knees. She flips through the pages, allowing herself a moment to cherish her ex-husband's talent for drawing and the love he displays to their daughter. She is no further than February second's page when she spots Little Groundhog for the first time in years. Her heart swells at the sight of the small creature, popping out of his burrow on Groundhog Day, to cheer Gracie's latest accomplishment from the page's margin.

An unconscious tear rolls down her cheek as buried memories resurface. The small mammal first appeared in her life over ten years ago, during a visit to Danny's grandparents' in Maine. There, Danny had found a newly established groundhog eying the property. He spent hours sketching the animal. With delight, Rachel had followed its adventures as it befriended a whale, a moose, and a chickadee. Eventually, it had met Missy Groundhog and fell in love.

Many years later, in the wake of their divorce, the small furry animal disappeared. Everyone who knew Danny suspected he had buried the cute cartoon under layers of pain and anger. They all feared it would never emerge from its burrow again, but there it finally was… If Little Groundhog had returned to Gracie's study plan, maybe it had reappeared somewhere else.

Putting her daughter's agenda aside, Rachel reaches for her computer. She opens her Internet's browser and accesses the _Trenton's Telegraph Journal_ from her bookmarks. Archived on the website, she finds all the comic strips Danny published over the last decade. Over the years, the number of publications has decreased significantly, but Rachel knows Danny still submits a strip from time to time. His friends at the New Jersey paper insisted that he keep it up, believing that he needed to draw as he needed to breathe. Like them, Rachel assumed that a productive Danny was a happy Danny. She had realized too late that the meanings of the funny cartoons' messages ran much deeper.

Because Danny uses so many emotionally charged words to describe anything and everything, Rachel had thought him incapable of connecting with what really mattered. Had she paid more attention to Little Groundhog, she would have seen sooner that Danny had been fighting for their marriage too, drawing what he could not express with the right words.

As Rachel surfs through the publications of the last months, she is thrilled to find a comic strip showcasing Little Groundhog once again. It is now on an island with a single palm tree. Rachel grins as the small creature is bullied by a large seal – Steve, no doubt –faces a volcano spewing pineapples, gets a coconut on the head, and barely escapes from the sharp teeth of a shark.

Her smile dissipates at the last panel. Alone, sitting on its hind legs, Little Groundhog stares over at the next island, where Missy Groundhog plays with a new family. Rachel's throat contracts painfully and tears well at her eyes, as she is suddenly overwhelmed by loneliness.

000

**A/N: I hope you liked it. I see more of the "Second Wave Universe" coming in the future since we still don't know what was in the bag… Thanks for reading. **

February 2011


	16. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: This new wave ties with the 2nd and 7th WAVES (Little Groundhog), in which we discovered that Danny had talent for drawing. It takes a look at Danny and Rachel's past and their unresolved feelings. I was also inspired by the amazing work of one of my friends. The story is basically an AU, but I use whatever inspires from the show. This scene would take place during episode 1x18, **_**Loa Aloha. **_

_**My sincere thanks to Strapakai and my friend, Catherine, for reading and Beta-proofing the inst******__allment._  


000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Eight Wave**

**16: Lost and Found. **

Rachel's former brother-in-law, Matthew Williams, had contacted her around eleven a.m., from the Hilton Hotel. Her ex-husband had just been called on a case, and had left their eight year-old daughter in the care of her uncle. Matt had planned to spend the day at the beach with his niece. Hence, Gracie needed her bathing suit, he had explained cheerfully. Why not bring hers as well? There was no reason why Rachel should not join them, Matt had insisted. She had debated the idea for a moment. After all, Matt was Danny's brother. On the other hand, her current husband, Stan, was away on business again. She could use the company.

Hours later, Rachel was standing in Matthew's hotel room, feeling as if she had been carefully set up. While she had prepared a bath for Gracie, to wash away the salt and the sand before dinner, Matt had placed a large wrapped picture frame on the kitchenette's counter.

"Rachel, you're probably going to hate me for this at first," he said sheepishly. "But I'm sure that you'll appreciate it later."

"Matthew-" she objected.

"Rachel, please, I have to show you this," he begged as he started ripping off the brown paper that covered the frame. "It's something Danny drew for you some time ago. I came across it while I was cleaning out my apartment locker. Danny left it with me for safe keeping. It was a gift for the baby shower..."

"Matthew," Rachel tried again, her voice quivering. "I don't think-"

The wrapping paper came off fully and revealed a pencil drawing of her; smiling down at her then four years-old daughter, who had an ear against her pregnant belly.

Rachel's breath caught her throat.

Her initial shock slowly dissolved into a mix of bittersweet emotions. Lips tightly shut; Rachel fought back tears to no avail. She felt Matt wrap an arm around her shoulders as she stared at the portrait through blurry eyes. It was the most exquisite drawing she had ever seen Danny produce. Sure, her ex-husband was a gifted cartoonist, but rarely did he engage in such detail. Through the fine pencil lines, Danny's love and admiration for Grace and herself transcended. His joy and his hope for their growing family were tangible.

Then, their lives had shattered like porcelain on a marble floor.

Their second daughter, Joyce, had died during the 34th week of the pregnancy. It had been ruled as placenta failure, but the doctors had never been able to explain why it happened. Grief had torn the couple apart.

At her side, Matthew stood supportive, but unrepentant. He sympathized with her grief and shared her admiration for his brother's artistic talent. "I know this brings back bad memories, but I thought it could also bring some good ones. The love and the hope you had for Joyce as a family should not be forgotten."

Rachel nodded. Her heart ached as she was reminded of how much Danny loved them. If only he had said it when it counted, instead of ranting about the job. Rachel had not wanted to hear about his work as a police officer. It scared her too much. Eventually, her fear for Danny's safety had consumed her every thought. Somewhere along the way, her dread of becoming a widow and a single parent had overpowered the love she had for him. In the aftermath of the miscarriage, she had blamed him and his job for the loss of her daughter.

"Oh Daniel..." she sobbed.

Matt pulled her into a hug. He held her tenderly as she cried.

"Mommy! I'm finished," Gracie called from the bathroom.

Rachel pushed herself away and brushed her tears away. "I will be right with you, Sweetie. Give me a minute." She met Matt's gaze: "Why did you not give the drawing back to Danny?"

"Are you kidding?" he asked with incredulity. "He would shove it into another storage locker or, worse, destroy it, like he did with so many others."

Matt was right. Danny did not handle the painful memories very well. He would destroy the portrait for sure.

"This drawing doesn't belong to me, Rachel. It does to you and Gracie. What you decide to do with it is up to you. I... I'm just hoping it can help you all heal. Danny loves you. He's always going be there for you. Now, I know that you rebuilt your life with another man and I respect that. Believe me, I do. But Danny, he feels alone on this island."

Rachel bit her lower lip as a little cartoon character popped into her mind. "Like Little Groundhog."

"Like Little Groundhog," Matt agreed. "I'm asking you: Please, don't leave him alone, Rachel. Not totally. He needs Gracie. He loves her so much."

"I know, he does," Rachel said as she looked back at the drawing Danny had made of herself and of his beloved Monkey. "We won't leave him alone. I promise."

"Thank you."

000

**The end. **

**A/N: This part is dedicated to my friend Karine and her family. I wish to honour their courage and resilience as they move forward after losing their second child late in the pregnancy. In mind, I also have my friend, Louise, who's love for her two children is a source of admiration and inspiration for me. **

**This little series is taking a life of its own. I can see more instalments coming. Any suggestions to how I should name this "universe"?**

April 2011.


	17. Pencil Marks

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Here is an addition to the eight WAVE. It ties to the **_**Little Groundhog Universe**_** (2nd and 7th WAVES), in which we discovered that Danny had a talent for drawing. It takes a look at Danny and Rachel's past and their unfolding relationship. The story is basically an AU, but I use whatever inspires me from the show. This WAVE takes place after episode 1x18, **_**Loa Aloha.**_** leads to the finale**_**. **_

_**Many thanks to Strapakai for her input.**_

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Ninth Wave**

**17: Pencil Marks**

Rachel took down the expensive abstract painting decorating the living room and carefully hung Danny's drawing in its place. She backed up a few steps and retrieve her glass of red wine from the coffee table. She then gingerly sat on the white leather couch.

The pencil drawn image of Grace's head leaning against her pregnant belly was a constant reminder of broken dreams. Nonetheless, Rachel was compelled to stare at it any chance she had. Each time, she first felt sucked into a whirlwind of confusing bittersweet emotions and ended up strangely at piece-and _loved_.

Absently, she sipped her wine.

There was no doubt in Rachel's mind that Stan loved her. He did so tenderly. Her husband was a good man. He was calm, even-tempered, and every bit a gentlemen. Stan was supportive and brought stability as well as financial security to Grace and Rachel. He was also affectionate and showed it generously with the best money could buy: a mansion for a house, a Mercedes for a car, a private school for Grace, exquisite clothes and jewellery for social events, the most expensive lawyers for peace of mind... But at the end of the day, when Rachel found herself left alone while Stan was yet again away on business, none of it balanced out against Danny's determination to be part of Grace's life-desperately clinging to hers in the process.

Where Stan abounded in wealth, Danny made up in dedication. He was devoted to Grace and strived in everything he did to make her smile, feel loved and safe. He was committed to his work for those very same reasons. He was also passionate about his art-from which many cancer patients benefited from the funds it raised every year. An outstanding artist, everything Danny drew came from the heart. Nothing was ever calculated. It was always compelling and intense-just like him.

In the aftermath of the carjacking, a few weeks back, Rachel had admitted to herself that Danny was still dedicated to her, as well. Worried sick, he had come running into the police station. He had held on to Grace for dear life as he had sought her gaze to reassure himself that she had been all right. His voice had evened out into his soft soothing tone as he had offered comfort. Then, the detective had taken charge of their protection-including Stan's-dedicated to find who had pointed a gun at his daughter and his ex-wife.

Rachel knew Danny's love for her had never cessed. Despite his anger and the painful wounds, left behind by Joyce's death, their divorce, her marrying Stan, the move to Hawaii, and their fights over Grace's custody, Danny still looked at her with longing. His love for her was not an echo of their past marriage that transcended through the subtle pencil marks of a drawing. It was a lifeline forever bridging their hearts.

This heartfelt realization had never come truer than the night before. As Danny had come undone in her arms, shaken to the core by his brother's betrayal, she had held him lovingly. Content to be the one he had turned to, she had marvelled at his vulnerability as if she had waited her all life for him to finally let her be the strong one.

Determined herself, she washed away the last of her wine and placed the glass back on the coffee table. She grabbed her phone and hit the second number on her speed dials.

"Hello Danny," she greeted him, with a rekindled trepidation. "...Yes, Grace and I are all right... How was your day?"

000

**A/N: In my head, there is more to come. Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think of this AU.**

**May 2011**


	18. Monday Morning

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Here is an addition to the eight WAVE. It ties to the **_**Little Groundhog Universe**_** (2nd and 7th WAVES), in which we discovered that Danny had a talent for drawing. This time, we find Steve comforting Danny on a Monday. **

**My thanks to Strapakai for her inputs. This story was not fully BETA-ed, all mistakes are mine. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES SERIES: Ninth Wave**

**18: Monday Morning**

From the moment Danny walked into 5-0's headquarters, all three of his teammates knew something was off. Keeping his troubles for himself, he quietly dismissed their concerns. They figured it was just another Monday morning. In essence, it was the beginning of another two week-long anticipation filled period before Danny could see his beloved daughter again.

Mondays were always hard on Danny. Sadness often clouded his blues eyes and made him even more prone to sardonic angry comebacks. On this particular morning, though, Danny looked as if he had been punched in the gut. Pain subdued his expressive demeanour. Only subtle traces of sorrow, anxiety, and... guilt were discernable.

Sympathetically, Steve, Kono, and Chin Ho respected his need for space and simply made themselves available should he wanted to talk to a friend. The day soon unfolded into its usual frantic rhythm of car chases, bullets flying, and doors exploding. Had it not been for Danny's lack of dry humour, it would have been a typical Monday for the 5-0 team.

By the end of the afternoon, Steve leaned against the doorframe of Danny's office. "You're still quiet."

Seated behind his desk, Danny looked up from his laptop to meet his partner's gaze. The dark circles under his tired blue eyes were not lost on Steve. "Yeah? So?"

"I don't like it," said Steve, further disturbed by his friend's unusual stillness.

"You don't like me being quiet?" asked Danny with incredulity. "I do remember a time when you offered me money to shut up. Make up your mind, Steven."

"If I offer you money to talk now, will you tell me what's going on?"

Danny snorted, then looked away.

Even if Danny's emotions could show up on his face, there for all to see, knowing what laid behind them was not so obviously. Steve had realized, early in their partnership, that the quieter Danny got, the more upset he was. Sometimes, his silence was right down chilling. Steve often wished he could see more of those drawings Danny made during his spare time. The former Navy SEAL did not pretend knowing how to psychoanalyse someone from a drawn picture, but it had to be better than what he got at the moment: which was nothing.

Steve walked in further into the office and perched himself on the desk. "Come on, Danno, talk to me," he almost pleaded.

Danny bit his lower lip. "When I'll know what to say, you'll be the first one I'll tell."

"What until then?"

"What until then?" Danny repeated, frustrated. "I don't know. Go blow up a building. Oh wait, you've already done that, today."

"It was just the door, Danny, hardly the building" Steve baited for the familiar bickering. The blond stared back at him only mildly irritated. "You haven't said anything about it."

"What is there to say? You went all Super Seal on me _again_ and I got your back. I won't always be there, you know."

That harsh possibility sent a shiver up Steve's spine. "I'll admit that it doesn't always looks that way, but I'll never let anything happen to you, _any_ of you."

"Steve, getting yourself blown up won't do us any favours, either. You're not as alone as you may think," argued his partner.

"I don't think that I'm alone."

"Well then, act like it."

Steve conceded the point to Danny. After all, he was the first one to talk about _Ohana_ when it came to the team. Seeing that his friend was far from better, he asked: "It's not what has been eating at you all day, is it?"

Danny sighed. "I give you the riot act for not looking back when you go Super Seal on me and I can't even protect my daughter from my own demons," he confessed, after a moment.

"What happened?"

"Grace found some disturbing images, stuff I drew while working on cases," he explained. "She went looking for them at the bottom of my dresser, knowing full well that she was not allowed to open _that_ drawer."

"I gather that those drawings are not cartoons, but I know you and Grace; you'll be all right."

"I don't know, Steve. It's more than that," Danny's voice took a tormented quality. "I reprimanded her for it... I mean, Gracie... I never have to reprimand Gracie. Not for stuff like that... She was curious, she said. She's going on nine, I can't blame her for being curious. Besides, this is all my fault. I should have gotten rid of those drawings the moment I was done with them. I don't know why I kept them... I apologized, but... I mean, it's too late."

"Danno, it's not your fault."

"You don't understand, Steven," accused Danny. "She saw them and they scared her. I failed her. I failed to protect my daughter from something I could have prevented-_should_ have prevented."

"Danny, you can't protect Grace from everything. She's bound to see disturbing things sooner rather than later. She already has," said Steve. "Now, it's not so much about what happened rather than what you'll do about it. You know that. Be there for her. Answer her questions. Have you talked to Rachel about it?"

Danny visibly cringed. "Yeah. It suffices to say that she was _not_ impressed about this." Steve could well imagine how _that_ conversation went. "I talked to the school counsellor, too. She and Grace's teacher will keep an eye on her for the next couple days. If something comes up, there's a child psychologist we can take Gracie to."

"Grace is strong and she's pretty smart," Steve reminded the distraught father. "I'm sure it won't come to that. Want to know what I think?" he asked with a wink. "I think maybe you're the one who need to talk to someone."

"I talked to you," Danny told him.

A silly grin spread across Steve's face. "Yeah. Yeah, you did," he said, happy to have his partner's trust.

"Thanks," said Danny with a small smile of his own.

000

**A/N: In my head, there is more to come in this alternate universe. Let me know what you think, it generates ideas**. **Thanks for reading. **

(May 2011)


	19. Movies and Malassadas

**Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS.**

**A/N: ****This is set in Season 1. I was wondering what Danny could be doing during his time off when he doesn't have Grace and Steve is not dragging him on hikes or test-drives for the Marquis. This is what my muse came up with. **

**My sincere thanks to Strapakai for her input. It feels like old times... **

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Tenth wave**

**19. Movies and Malassadas**

It was eight a.m. when Danny rolled into the Palace's parking lot and stopped his Camaro beside Chin Ho's Traverse. The Native Hawaiian was leaning against his car. A brown paper bag was sitting on the hood beside him. "You better not let Mister-I-Got-Know-Everything-You-Eat catch you with that bag," Danny told his colleague as he handed him one of the two cups of coffee he had brought.

"I don't worry, _brah_" Chin Ho replied as he accepted the hot drink. "Steve seems to only worry about _you_ kneeling over from a massive coronary."

"Him and my daughter, apparently. So what's in the bag?"

"Something worth dying for."

"Malassadas," Danny said cheerfully. He put his coffee on the hood of the Traverse and retrieved one of the pastry from the bag. "Oh man, I love you so much!"

"Thought you would," Chin said with a huge grin. He watched Danny take a bite and smile in satisfaction. He served himself out of the bag next. "So, was last night movie any good?"

The blond shook his free hand in a "so-so" gesture. He swallowed his mouthful. "The plot was bad. I figured it out in the first 15 minutes. The CGI were alright, but not good enough to stop me from falling asleep half way through."

Chin chuckled. "That would make it a what? A 3?"

Danny had a scale with which he rated all the films he saw weekly: 5 was a movie worth seeing in theatre at full price; 4 a cheap night; 3 a pay per view; 2 a rental; 1ment: wait for it to come on TV; and 0 a waste of time.

"Not even, a rental," he told the computer expert as he reached for his coffee.

"Morning!" greeted Kono as she joined them. "What did I miss?"

Chin swallowed a sip of his coffee. "Danny fell asleep in the middle of the movie again," he informed his cousin.

"That's what the second time this week?" asked Kono as she peaked inside the brown paper bag. "I don't know why you keep going when you fall asleep so many times, _brah_."

Danny glared at her as she took a malassada for herself. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't incriminate yourself in front of the Boss," she said.

"That's very nice of you. Tomorrow, you're bringing coffee."

"Deal," she told him, and then took a bite of the creamy pastry. Her eyes opened wide as she tasted the haupia filling. "Oh that's good, Cuz! You always know where to find the best malassadas." She turned her attention back to Danny. "So why do you go?"

Danny washed down the last bite of his breakfast with his coffee. "I go because the little I get helps me better grasp this messed up culture we're trying so hard to right the wrong of."

"I thought it was to better understand women," teased Chin.

"That was last week," Danny replied without losing a beat. "This week, Rachel's back to her usual bitchy self."

"Ah! A lot less confusing," grinned the senior detective.

"Sadly," Danny agreed. " The first movie was bad, but the midnight show blew my mind."

"You stayed for a second movie?" asked Kono.

"I usually do. Depending on how beat I am. When I sleep through the first one, I'm awake for the second. Once home, I sleep like a log. No dream of widows or orphans or of a Super-Seal killing me in an ill-fated attempt at playing nice."

"I can just imagine how that goes," said Chin.

"Like any other day, basically."

"Ah! 'The stuff dreams are made off''," quoted chin Ho.

"_The Maltese Falcon_, 1941. Nice," appreciated Danny. He took another sip of coffee. "That said, it's reassuring to know that Steve worries about my cholesterol. It actually makes me forget _some times_ that he hides grenades in my car. Car which he drives like a maniac."

"He means well," defended Kono.

"'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'," he told her. She gave him an evil eye. "Don't look at me like that. It's just another movie quote. I know Rambo means well."

"You better," she said. "From which movie was that last quote from?"

"Clark Gable delivered it in _Gone with the wind_," answered her cousin.

Kono looked back at Danny. "You're a romantic."

"No, I'm cultured. There's a difference."

"That you are, _brah_," laughed Chin Ho. "What was the second movie you saw?"

"A low budget film from Australia, which I'll have to look up the name. It was like nothing I've seen before. The acting and the imagery were amazing! It's worth seeing again."

"That makes it what? A 5?" asked Chin.

Danny thought about it for a few seconds. "I give it a 6. I would go full price, again."

Chin Ho nodded, impressed. "I might just come with you."

"The invitation is opened."

000

**A/N: This little piece was written a while back. I was hoping to do a longer story with it. I actually wrote a lot more, but I got stuck. So I decided to add it to the Rolling in Waves Series.**

**Many thanks to my friend Sara, whose favourite hobby is to watch movies, for being my inspiration for this fic. Thank you for reading!**

September 2011


	20. The Worse Kind of Movies

**Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS.**

**A/N: This new chapter (part 20!) is a**** continuation of the TENTH WAVE. My muse seems to be back, so I figured I might as well take it as far as it's going to go. Thank you for all your reviews and alerts, it's helping me get around these doubts I keep having about writing in English.**

**Thi****s last part has not been beta-ed. I hope you don't mind too much. If you notice something wrong with the English, please let me know. I need the practice. **

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Tenth wave**

**20. The Worse Kind of Movies**

In typical Neanderthal fashion, with total disregard for proper police procedures, Steve swiftly kicked down the front door of their suspect's house. Danny gave his partner a quick disapproving glare as he took point. One after the other, the four members of the Five-0 Task Force entered Geoff Jung's bungalow and systematically cleared every room.

"It looks like this house is barely lived in," observed Kono from the Kitchen.

"But this is the place, alright," confirmed Chin Ho from a room at the end of the hall.

With gloved fingers, Danny picked up a wet towel from the bathroom's floor, "We didn't missed him by much," he said, clearly frustrated.

As he came back out into the hall, Steve blocked his way to the bedrooms. "Don't go in there," ordered his partner.

Danny's eyebrows went up. "Why?"

"You don't want to see this."

"I don't want to see _this_?" The detective questioned.

"He's right, _brah_," Chin Ho pitched in from behind Steve. "It's the kind of movies you don't need running into your head."

Understanding drew in and the father paled. "What? There's a dead child in there?"

"Almost as bad," replied Steve.

"Kiddie porn," Danny deduced, disgusted. "You're right, I don't need to see _that_. Thank you," he added sincerely.

"You're welcome. We should go back to Jung's office and have another chat with his partner."

"Forget his office," Danny told him. "'A boy's best friend is his mother'," he quoted from _Psycho_. He turned on his heels and headed out.

"Where're you going?" Steve called after him.

"I'm going to make her an offer she can't refuse," Danny adapted from_ The Godfather_.

000

**A/N: It's Monday and I'm looking forward to tonight's episode. That's definitely a show that I like to run into my head ;-). Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. **

September 2011


	21. Stuff Out of Movies

**Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS.**

**A/N: A continuation of the TENTH WAVE, set in Season 1. I need the old team chemistry and some more h/c for Danny. This story pushes the limits of realism - a great deal - but so does the show. It is stuff out of movies. Still, I hope you like it. I had fun writing it. I apologize for any mistakes.**

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Tenth wave**

**21****. Stuff out of Movies**

From the pier, the four members of the 5-0 Task Force watched the luxurious yacht _Dragon's Head_ speed away.

"''You're going to need a bigger boat'," Danny told Steve.

"You mean: _faster_."

"Yeah, but unfortunately that's not how the quote goes."

Kono looked questioningly at her cousin. She was clearly at lost with the reference.

"_Jaws_," Chin Ho supplemented.

Steve turned on his heels. "'I'll be back'," he told them, as he made his way to the silver Camaro.

Danny snorted. "What do you have in mind, Terminator?" he called after him.

Steve looked back at him a wide grin. "'I feel the need- I feel the need to speed'."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Leave it to Super Seal to quote _Top Gun._"

000

From the upper deck of the coast guard's ship _Regatta_, the 5-0 team watched in horror as the steal bow of the luxurious yacht_ Dragon's Head_ collided with the wooden frame of the large schooner _Island Son_. Suddenly, everything seemed to stand still as the sounds of grinding metal, ringing bells, and shattering wood carried over the water.

The familiar roar of the _Regatta's_ engines filled the air again. Its entire crew started moving with new sense of purpose. Rescuing and protecting the passengers of the damaged schooner was now the priority. Although, Steve stayed determined to board the _Dragon's Head_ and give the human smugglers a piece of his mind, and more...

As the _Regatta_ lined itself alongside the _Island Son_, Steve readied himself to board the two-masted sailing ship. His Kevlar vest was fastened under his boating safety jacket. He was armed. He was also significant pissed off. He was about to climb the rope ladder when a strong hand grabbed his arm. Steve looked down at his partner.

"Sparrow, whatever you do, _wait_ for backup," Danny told him. The detective did not bother asking what the trained Navy SEAL had in mind. He simply invited him to lead the way with a pointed hand gesture.

The rescue crew had barely reached the gangway of the schooner when the _Dragon's Head_ reversed its engines. Slowly, it freed itself from the _Island Son_. No longer supported by the yacht, the 110-feet long schooner tilted sideways. Terrified, people screamed. Everyone tried to grab on to something. Once the _Island Son_ was somewhat stable, the 5-0 team and the coast guards focussed on the unknown number of passengers on board ship.

Unsure of how big the breach in the hull was, time became of the essence as the schooner slowly sank. Alerted by voices, Steve, Danny, and Kono made their way down below. There, they found nine passengers struggling to make their way to the upper deck.

Steve was assisting the last remaining couple up the companionway when the ship dipped further on its portside. Steve held the wooded railing tightly with one hand as he supported the young man with the other. Behind him, Danny and Kono disappeared in the semi-darkness. Steve heard furniture being tossed around as well as sloshing water.

Chin Ho appeared at the top of the companionway. "I've got them," he told Steve as he helped the couple reach the deck. He safely handed them to an awaiting coast guard. "Where are Kono and Danny?"

Steve looked down and searched for any sign of their teammates. "They were pushed back when the ship dipped. I can't see them. I'm going back."

"I'm right behind you, _brah_." Once Steve had cleared the companionway, Chin eased himself onto the hull. Sea water was reaching his calves and kept on rising. He flicked on a flashlight. "Kono?" he called worriedly.

"Over here, Cuz. We need help!" They moved to the stern where Kono was trying to remove a piece of debris sitting on Danny's lower abdomen. "It's stuck," said Kono, her tone laced in fear and desperation.

"Kono... Go," Danny ordered her.

"He's right," added Steve. "Join the others on the _Regatta_. We've got Danny."

Kono bit her lower lip as she hesitated for a moment. "I'll send help."

"See you on the gangway," the Jersey Native promised her.

"Gangway, huh? So you know some ship terms after all," teased Steve as he assessed the situation further. His friend was pined against the wall. Half of his body was submerged in water. They had to act fast, or Danny was going to drown really soon.

"Maybe it was from... _Maters and Commanders..._" Danny panted through gritting teeth. "It wasn't _Titanic_... Didn't see _Titanic_."

"Really?" questioned Chin, the beam of his flashlight aimed at the broken piece of cabinet that pinned their friend down . "Why not?"

"... 'Knew how it ends... Ship sinks."

"I hear you, _brah_. It ruined everything," said Chin, his tone light, comforting.

"Right..." Danny wheezed out as one hand forcefully halted Steve shifting of the cabinet. "S-stop," he begged.

"Sorry, Danno," Steve apologized sincerely. "I know it hurts, but you're almost freed."

"Go... I'm about... to feed the fish..." He splashed the water with one hand for added emphasis. "Leave before... before the ship goes Titanic. "

"You're not ready for Davy Jones' Locker yet, Danno," Steve told him. "We're not leaving without you."

"Steven..."

"Danny, _listen_ to me," he cut his partner off. "Chin and I will pull off the cabinet," He met Chin Ho's gaze. The older man nodded. "On three. One, two, pull!"

Danny's scream melted into a series of short gaps. Suddenly his body went limp.

"Danny! Danny!" called Steve frantically. "Danny! Can you hear me?"

Chin reached for his friend's neck. "I've got a pulse. It's frantic. I can move to the side, now, and lift him up by the shoulders."

Steve swore.

"What?"

"He's bleeding... _a lot_. I've got his legs. You're ready?"

"Let's get out of here!"

Working together, Steve and Chin Ho brought Danny's inert body forward toward the companionway. Halfway, a coast guards met up with them with a backboard. They hastily fastened Danny onto it. With the help of a forth man, waiting for them on the upper deck, they hissed the detective up. Blinded by the sun, they rushed to the _Regatta_ as quickly as possible.

The sinking schooner was a sad sight, but as Danny was laid on the gangway of the coast guards ship, no one dwelled upon it further. Blood was pouring from an open wound in the unconscious man's abdomen. The cut was about one inch long and appeared fairly deep.

As Steve tried to slow down the blood flow, he begged his partner and best friend to hold on. "Come on, Danno, we made it this far. Stay we us."

0000

**A/N: I can't believed I sank a Tall Ship... I find them so beautiful! But I haven't been on one in years, so I hope this made some sense. The collision between the two ships was actually loosely inspired by a true story: The sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland. **

**I am not sure if there will be a next part to this particular wave. I just lost a friend in a car accident over the weekend and another is in critical condition. This time, losing myself in the writing helps only so much (especially that this was written quite a while ago). That said, I would consider suggestions ;-)**

**Thanking you**** for reading and reviewing. It is really appreciated! **

October 2011


	22. Movie Date

**Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS.**

**A/N: This part is a continuation of the TENTH WAVE. When I last worked on this story, I was okay with letting it stand unfinished. A friend had been seriously injured in a car accident and his fiancé had died. Both were coworkers I shared many laughs with everyday. Four months have passed. My friend is getting better. He is home, now. He started going out everyday with his cane in hand, meeting people, and inspiring us with is constant positive attitude. I hope you don't mind me sharing this little of good news with you.**

**I finally feel ready to bring this WAVE TEN to a close. I must say that my renew desire to finish it is also due to the great stories written by JazzieG. Her series "A to Z of Danny's Whump!" has inspired me to write some Danny H/C myself. Thanks JazzieG! Okay, enough babbling. Enjoy!**

**000**

**ROLLING IN WAVES: Tenth wave**

**22. Movie Dates**

The moment the yacht _Dragon's Head_ collided with the schooner _Island Son_, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter _Regetta_, Captain Liko Kamaka, radioed for assistance. An helicopter and two additional ships were then immediately deployed to the area. Kamaka set course for Honolulu as soon as the evacuation of the sinking sailing ship was completed. With engines that ran at maximum speed, the _Regetta_ reached its homeport within half an hour.

During those long agonizing minutes, Steve and Brian Donaldson, the ships' medic, diligently provided first aid to a seriously injured Danny. While one did his best to slow down the flow of blood rushing from his partner's abdominal wound, the other inserted an IV in his arm and placed an oxygen mask over his face. Danny's legs were slightly elevated and covered with a blanket.

Face flushed, Danny shivered under their touch. He moaned repeatedly as their ministrations caused him pain.

"I know it hurts, Danny. I'm sorry, Man," Steve apologized.

The wounded detective squinted his eyes under the bright afternoon sun. Confused, he searched for his partner.

"I'm here, Danno," Steve tried to reassure him. "We've got you. You hold on, okay? Keep breathing: in and out. We're almost there. You're going to okay. Just relax."

Danny's mumbled reply was lost under the oxygen mask. He was out again before he could fully comprehend what was happening to him.

The _Regetta_ docked smoothly. Two EMTs promptly took over Danny's care and prepared him to be medevac to the nearest hospital.

"Steve." The leader of 5-0 averted his eyes from the still form of his partner just long enough to acknowledge Chin Ho. "The Coast Guards have spotted the _Dragon's Head _from the air. The two cutters are about 20 minutes out, closing fast."

"Fast isn't fast enough," Steve said as he wished he could lay his hands on every single member of the yacht's crew already.

"I know how you feel, _Brah_," the older man sympathized. "They won't let the _Dragon's Head_ get away. You go with Danny. Kono and I will stay here to coordinate with the Coast Guards. We'll let you know as soon as we have them in custody."

"Thanks, Chin." As Danny was being loaded into the medical helicopter, Steve crisply answered his ringing cell phone. "McGarrett."

"Steve, it is Rachel. Is Danny with you? They say on the news that one of you might be injured. I cannot reach Danny. Is he all right?" His partner's ex-wife was frantic.

Steve was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected call. He swallowed hard, unprepared to deal with Grace's mother so soon. He cursed the media for leaking the information to the general public. "Rachel, I'm sorry... Danny was seriously injured during a rescue operation. He's about to be airlifted to Honolulu General. I got to go. I'll meet you there with more information."

He disconnected the call unceremoniously and climbed into the chopper. Unable to look at Danny's ashen face any more, his eyes fell to his laps. What more could he possibly tell Rachel other than what his drying bloodied clothes were sure to convey?

The doors of the helicopter opened to the roof of the hospital less then ten minutes later. As Danny was rushed into a trauma room, someone held Steve back with a gentle yet firm tug of his arm. He looked down at a middle age Asian woman. She was no taller than 5'2".

Kind brown eyes meet his gaze. "How about we take a look at you?" the nurse offered.

"I'm fine," he replied quickly. "The blood- the blood is not mine," he finished dejectedly.

"Let's get you into some clean dry clothes, then."

Before he knew it, nurse Chan had led him to a quiet examination room. She instructed him to sit on a chair. She then disappeared. She returned moments later with a set clean blue scrubs and a bottle of water.

"I'll give you a few minutes to change, and then I'll check back on you," she told him.

"I'm expecting my partner's ex-wife, Rachel Edwards, and maybe- maybe his little girl."

"I'll inform the front desk." She put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Try to relax."

Steve simply nodded. Left alone in the small room again, he suddenly felt lost.

000

Steve found Rachel sitting apprehensively by herself in the middle of the ER waiting room. He gingerly sat on the green plastic chair next to hers. Tentatively, she slid her small hand into his offered one. They silently drew from each other's support for a moment.

"They took Danny for surgery," Steve told her at last. She nodded, her lips pressed in a thin line. "He has severe internal injuries. He also lost a lot of blood from an open wound."

There was no need to say that the man who had become a brother to him, the father of her daughter, might not survive in the end.

"I'm sorry, Steve," she whispered, her sophisticated facial features drawn with guilt. "I should not have called you like that. I had no right to do so. I'm not married to Daniel any more. I never done something like that even when we were married. I do not know what got into me. I caught the news by accident," she took a shaky breath. "I never watch the news..."

"Rachel, I understand. Danny is Grace's father and I know you still care about him."

Tears now rolling down from puffy eyes, her chest heaved with painful sobs. "It's more than that, Steve. I still _love_ him... The harder I tried to get away from the constant fear of losing him like _this_, the harder Danny fought back for Grace. For this, I love him so much more... He's a wonderful father. He was a good husband too, you know; so much better than I ever gave him credit for... I let my fears destroy what Danny, Gracie, and I had the most precious. Yet, Danny stayed _Danny,_ despite all the pain I put him through."

She did not need to say more. Steve knew the kind of man his friend was. Behind his tough street attitude and his brash personality, Danny was compassionate and forgiving. He was fiercely loyal to those he held dear: Gracie, Rachel, the team... He had proven ready to do the most selfless compromises for all them as well as countless of others.

"You must think I'm awful to want him as my friend now..."

"Rachel, I'm no one to judge," he told her. In truth, he thought he might understand her reasoning better than most people. After all, his own father had pushed him and his sister away in the name of love and protection. "What I know is when Danny gets out of surgery, he's going to need all of us."

Rachel nodded. She looked up at him and met his gaze with a mirrored determination.

000

It was an exhausted surgeon who met with Steve, Rachel, Kono, Chin Ho in the late evening. Against all odds, Danny had survived the six hour-long abdominal surgery. Delivering a guarded prognostic, Doctor O'Hara explained the many challenges ahead. Cardiac and kidney failures, respiratory distress, and high risks of infections were all important preoccupations. Hence, for the days to come, Danny would be kept on a ventilator. He would received more blood transfusions and strong doses of antibiotics, among other medications.

Once Danny had been settled into the ICU, they were finally allowed to see him for a few minutes. Skin almost translucent, their friend's strong presence was further washed under a myriad of medical equipments. It was a sight none of them ever wanted to see. Yet, they found themselves staring in morbid fascination, amazed that Danny was still alive.

_Of course_, he was still alive, Steve reminded himself many times. Danny had Grace to fight for and an extended _ohana_ who cared about him, here in Hawai'i.

"I know this is difficult and that you would rather stay close to Detective Williams," the nurse in charge of Danny's care said compassionately. "But there is nothing you can do for him tonight. Go home. Get some rest. If you leave us your contact information, I promise we'll call you if his condition changes."

Reluctantly, they agreed to go home. Sleep would not be easy to achieve, but they would rest as much as they could. After all, the fight was far from over.

000

"Look who's awake!" said Kono as Steve and Chin Ho walked into Danny's room. After a eight day stay in the ICU, Danny had been moved to a step down unit the day before. No sooner had his room started to look like a flower shop.

Still somewhat feverish, Danny was fighting the remains of a nasty peritonitis. He had dark circles under his tired red-rimmed blue eyes. The edges of his pale face were a bit sharper.

"More balloons, I see," he greeted, right hand weakly flailing towards the basket Chin Ho was carrying

"A gift from the crew of the _Island_ _Son,_" explained the older man. "They want to come in to thank you properly when you're up for it."

"They don't need to thank me. They _lost_ their ship," Danny said, his voice still hoarse from the use of the endotracheal tube.

"But you helped _save_ their lives. They're grateful for that, _Brah_."

Danny dismissed the issue with another customary hand gesture.

Steve placed the gift bag he had come in with on the bedside table and critically eyed his friend. "You okay?"

"I'm okay."

"Your sure?" The pain lines on Danny's face were unmistakable.

"The nursing staff hurt him when they turned him to his side, earlier," Kono supplemented.

Steve's anger erupted on his face like a volcano. The injured man glared at the younger woman. "It's okay, Super Seal. They didn't mean to."

"I don't care if they mean it or not, Danny. There're not supposed to hurt you!"

"Under the circumstances, I think it's inevitable, Steven."

Unfortunately, Danny was right. Because of the extent of his injuries, the sightless shift was bound to hurt. Pain was _almost_ as unavoidable here as it had been onboard the _Regetta_. Nonetheless, Steve was going to have a little chat with the nursing staff.

"I know what you're thinking and I am well capable of dealing with the nurses on my own. Thank you very much," Danny told him as if he had read his mind.

"I know you are. Just consider me backup."

"_Backup_? Really Steven, do you finally understand the full meaning of that concept?"

"I'm getting there. You keep drilling it in any chance you get."

"Glad to know you actually listen from time to time."

"I always listen, Danno. So keep it up."

"I intent to." Suddenly uncomfortable under his friends scrutiny, Danny changed the subject. "So what's in the bag?"

"Oh, we got you a little something," said Steve as he brought the bag into Danny's reach.

Mindful of the pulse-ox attached to his hand, Danny pulled the edge of the bag and peered inside. "A portable DVD player?"

"That's right," smiled Steve. "We've got you a movie selection to go with it, too."

"You probably saw them all already," said Kono. "But since you fall asleep so often during the late shows, we figured you might catch a few scenes that you missed."

"I don't know about that. With what the doctors have me on, I can't stay awake for more than two hours at the time. I can just imagine what watching a movie will do to me."

"Since you need the rest at the moment, it might not be a bad thing," Steve pointed out. At Danny's eye roll, he added: "It's going to get better."

"Yeah... You didn't have to do that," he told them a bit sheepishly.

"We're happy to, _Brah_," replied Chin Ho. "Beside, there's quite a few movies in that selection that I'd like to watch with you."

Danny smile. "You've got a date, my friend."

000

The End

**A/N: This WAVE can finally rest. Hopefully, more will come. Don't be surprised to see Rachel pop in from time to time. I like the dimension she brings to Danny. I don't mind making her feel a bit guilty and angsty either. I'm not a fan of the two ever being a couple again, but I think their ongoing relationship gives Danny more depth. That's always nice. Until next time!**

February 2012.


	23. Moira

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS. **

**A/N: It's been ages since I've posted a fic. I am thrilled to be in writing mode again! The show's third season is inspiring me a lot more than the second, even if I draw a lot from the later. Also renewing my creativity are events from my own life. In mid-October, I had to move into a different building because my two-bedroom had been flooded. Although very lucky, it's taking me some time to make the all furnished apartment feel my own. I'm still not sleeping much. At the same time, a friend is helping her mother .. a nurse who had been suffering from PTSD for a few years .. through her a major move of her own. Mix everything together and the following is what you get. **

**Finally I want to thank Strapakai and JazzieG for kindly looking at this fic. The corrections and their suggestions very appreciated! Any remaining mistakes in the text are totally my own. **

000

**ROLLING IN WAVES:**

**23: Moira**

Exhausted but unable to fall asleep, Danny rolled over for the umpteenth time. He rearranged his pillows and settled on his back. Annoyed, he glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand: 2:27 A.M obnoxiously glowed at him.

Outside, tires splashed in puddles of rainwater. How could there be so much traffic on this small side street in the middle of the night? _And_, when had _that_ started to bother him? Danny had lived most of his life in the heart of a busy New Jersey city. Even when his parents had bought a house, it had not been far from a major artery connecting two hospitals, the fire-station his dad had worked at during most of his career, and a police precinct. In the past, traffic had lulled him to sleep. Yet, as busy as it currently was, the noise was inconsistent and disturbing. It just did not feel like home. Nothing here did.

With the urge to roll on his side again, Danny tossed his covers and got out of bed. He grabbed a pillow and settled on the couch in the living room. He reached for the remote to turn the TV on. The Sports Network was broadcasting a golf game. Danny deemed it boring enough to put him to sleep. He lowered the sound to a white noise level and watched with disinterest. Soon his thoughts drifted back to the constant concern of his living arrangements.

He had moved into his latest apartment less than two weeks earlier. It was the nicest place Danny had found so far that matched his budget. Even Steve seemed to approve; not that his partner's opinion really mattered in the end. The important one was Gracie's. His little girl had immediately laid-out how she wanted her bedroom to be the moment she had seen it. She had also marvelled at the small courtyard where she could play with other children. To Danny, however, the many windows made the two-bedroom apartment too big and overly bright. Alone, he felt exposed; out of place.

Ironically, Danny was a _haole _even at home. He was a stranger to this island, a transplant, who was torn between being unwilling and unable to set roots. He still resented having to relocate to Hawaii and he now feared being forced to leave.

Despite it all, Danny was working hard to make a life for himself in Honolulu; going beyond surviving the daily hectic of his job and his constant longing for his daughter's presence in his life. Still, too often, he wondered how to make it to the next day. He then gained more appreciation for what his parents had gone through during their seven month separation.

Danny's childhood had been shattered when he was five and his little sister Allie had been three. His mother, Moira, a nurse, had been violent attacked in the E.R. by two men. She had recognized the two men as acquaintances of her husband, Terry.

Unable to return to work at that hospital and feeling unsafe at home, Moira had packed the bare necessities and left with her two children. She had turned to her best friend, Denise, who had helped her find par-time work at the medical clinic where she worked. Granny Beth, Denise's mother, who was babysitting her daughter's little boy, had agreed to look after Danny and Allie as well. Traumatized and depressed, Moira had gradually withdrawn from social contact .. even from her own family who had pressured her to go back to her husband.

Moira and her children had eventually settled into an old brownstone in Newark. With its rundown façade and holes in the walls, the building had had nothing inviting to it. Their two bed-room apartment had been small. Due to lack of storage space, it had tended to appear cluttered and messy quickly. The untidiness had been further emphasized by Moira's little amount of energy for anything domestic. It was still a wonder how their apartment had not been the point of origin of the fire that had eventually destroyed the building.

To Moira, where they lived had not mattered much as long as she felt her children were safe. Other than Aunt Denise, Danny believed no one else had ever come to visit. Not even Terry; whom Moira had tried to distance herself from. They would meet with Terry occasionally; always in a park where the kids could play with the family dog. Danny had missed the standard schnauzer, but it had been nothing compared to his yearning for his dad. Sometimes angry at him, yet always happy to see him, he had cried each time they had to leave him. Their meetings had often left Danny very confused.

When not at work, Moira had not been going out much. There had been no more nights at the theatre and dancing classes for her. Moira had spent most of her time in their small apartment taking care of her children despite a severe depression. It had not been easy; and Danny remembered having gone to bed hungry a few times. Thank god for Granny Beth .. The older woman had caught on quickly and made sure that the trio always went home with leftovers.

Moira had not said much to her young son about what had happen to her in the E.R. that night nor why they were not living with his father anymore. Danny had caught titbits here and there while she had talked with his dad and with Denise. He had not understood everything then, but he had recognized that his mother had been scared and so very sad. His anger towards his dad had grown for not being there for them; especially his mom who had woken up screaming on many nights. Danny would then snuggle beside her in bed and tell her over and over that he loved her. He would promise to protect them too .. her and Allie.

True to his words, five year-old Danny William had saved them both the night the old brownstone had caught on fire. Awakened by the fire alarm, he had roused his mother from her drug induced sleep. He had then guided her and his crying sister down the flight of stairs that led to the main entrance of the building. Once outside, they had been rescued by fire fighters arriving on the scene .. amongst them, his father!

Unaware that his family had been living at that location, Terry had been shocked to see them stumble his way. He had dropped everything and ran to them calling their names. He had taken them to safety where they had held on to each other as they had cried.

As paramedics had taken care of Moira and Allie, Terry had hold his son in his arms. He had forced the boy to look at him in the eyes as he had told him how proud of him he was. He had then pulled him closer to his broad chest. Danny had wrapped his little arms around his father's neck and laid his head on his shoulder. Never had he felt safer than that very moment.

Once in the hospital, Moira had accepted psychological help to treat her post-traumatic stress disorder. They had finally gone home with Terry. Gradually, they had learned how to be a family again. The following year, Moira had given birth to another daughter, Claire. The youngest of Danny's siblings, Matt, had come into the world two years after that. Moira would continue to get bouts of depression from time to time, but surrounded by her loving family it would never get as severe. She would fight back her mental illness further by becoming a psychiatric nurse!

Danny would always admire his parents for working through their problems. When his own marriage had dissolved .. Rachel leaving with Grace .. Danny had drawn from both his parents' determination in order to stay close to his daughter, remind her that he loved her always, and protect her as best he could. At times, it had meant accepting to live in places like the old brownstone. To Danny, it would not matter; for he remembered the love they had shared during those difficult times.

As he lay on the couch of his new apartment, Danny figured that everything would be all right here too. All he had to do was sleep.

000

**The End. **

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I would love to know what you think. **

000

November 2012.


	24. 24: Missed Calls

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does CBS. **

**A/N: Here's a ficlet that has been sitting on my HD for a few months. I had forgotten about it. I had even started another fic using elements from this one. This new WAVE takes place following Steve's departure at the end of ep 2X19. It follows a series of phone calls left on voicemails by the team. I'll admit that I was ticked off at Steve for ignoring Danny's call at the end of the ep. I got a bit vindictive towards him. Unfortunately for Danny, he's the one who ended taking the brunt of it - as usual. **

**Note that this is NOT a death fic, but I leave it up to you to interpret the ending.**

**Again, many thanks to Strapakai for helping me along. It feels like old times.**

**ROLLING IN WAVES**

**24: Missed Calls**

_"Hey, Steve. Me again; Danny. You know, it would be nice of you if you'd stopped being a Neanderthal animal and started returning your calls. We'd like to know if you're okay or if we should get a team ready to bring your ass back home before it's too late." _Sigh_. "Anyway, I hope you're finding whoever you're looking for. Gracie says 'hi'". _

_000_

_"Hello to you too, Steven... We just closed a case. Your absence was noticed: no grenade; no improvised swim in the Pacific ocean; I drove my car; I was not even shot at once - not once! Unbelievable, huh? I'm starting to wonder if I want you to come back. I might actually add a few years to my life expectancy. If it wasn't for all these calls I get at all hours that you could take instead of me, I would give the thought more considerations. Truth be told, partner, I wouldn't mind a call from _you_. I hope you're okay babe." _

_000_

_"Hi Steve. I met a friend of yours: Sam Hannah. He says you owe him a steak dinner. Why am I not surprised? Hannah's a good guy. Maybe you should think of taking better care of your friends, Steven. I let you know that we're not all expecting a steak dinner. For some of us, only a call will do. Say, what is it with Navy Seal and back seat driving, huh?"_

_000_

_"Hey Boss, it's Kono. I hope you're okay. We're doing fine. We miss you. Danny's doing a great job of running Five-O. He's really worried about you, you know.. It's not helping that Gracie's away on the Mainland with Rachel, Stan, and the baby. At least he can talk to her on the phone... Let us know if you need anything, okay? We've got your back, brah." _

_000_

_"Honestly Steven," Shallow breath. "I don't know why I keep making these stupid phone calls". _Breath._ "It isn't like you're returning any of them." _Breath_. "Let me tell you partner that I'm ticked off at you, right now." _Breath_. "I could have used you today. You would have been nice backup. Actually…" _Breath_. "You could have been the one storming into that warehouse and getting shot at." _Breath_. "It would have save me a lot of trouble. We're okay." _Breath_. "We hope .. you are too." _

_000_

_"Hey Steve; Chin Ho. I'm afraid I'm the barer of bad news, brah. I don't know if Danny told you this already .. he took one in the vest two days ago; mid-chest area. He saved my life. The E.R. staff checked him over. He seemed okay except for some heavy bruising and two cracked ribs. They taped them and sent him home with some painkillers. He suffered from a pulmonary embolism last night. He was alone and barely managed a call to 911. His doctor tells us that he's stable for now. Anyway, we'd appreciate a call, brah."_

_000_

_"Steve, it's Kono. Where are you, Boss? You should be here. We need you. Danny needs you. He's not doing well. In fact, he's getting worse. He's in a lot a pain. He can barely breathe. It's bad enough he's always worried about Grace; now he's scared of the kind of trouble you might find yourself into. Please call."_

_000_

_"This is Detective Danny Williams. Leave a Message."_

"Hey Danny, It's Steve. I'm in Osaka, Japan. I need your help. Call me back ASAP."

_000_

_"Lieutenant Kelly."_

"Chin, it's Steve."

_"Steve, finally! Are you okay? Where're you brah?"_

"I'm in Osaka, Japan. I need your help. Are Danny and Kono with you?"

_"Kono's here. Steve, have you taken your messages at all?"_

"Messages? My phone broke. I just got a new one. Chin, where's Danny?"

_"Steve, Danny's gone."_

000

**The End. **

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I plan on doing one last fic for Rolling in Waves. Hopefully, I'll start something new and just as fun to do.**

**November 2012**


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